It’s tax time! It pays to learn what work-related expenses you can claim

13th June, 2019

Lodging your tax return is easy if you have everything you need at the ready. When completing your tax return, you may be able to claim deductions for some work-related expenses. It is really important to be aware that to claim a work-related deduction: you …

Workplace ‘burn-out’ – a legitimate occupational syndrome

13th June, 2019

It’s normal to feel stressed at work from time to time. But for some people, the stress becomes all-consuming, leading to exhaustion, cynicism and hatred towards their job. This is known as burnout. Burnout used to be classified as a problem related to life management, …

Procedural fairness in workplace investigations

24th May, 2019

In Enterprise Agreements, we generally have a provision regarding the process that a school must undertake when conducting a workplace investigation into conduct or performance.  The Union’s ability to challenge a school’s process during a workplace investigation will depend on the terms of the Enterprise …

Almost every Australian teacher has been bullied by students or their parents, and it’s taking a toll

24th May, 2019

When a 2018 survey of 560 teachers reveals 70% of respondents have been bullied or harassed by a student in a 12 month period, and around 83% of respondents disclose a desire to leave teaching citing mental health and well-being repercussions, such poor employee treatment …

Dear Dorothy… help me with Equal Opportunity…

22nd May, 2019

Dear Dorothy I am not sure what my rights are regarding what is happening to me at the moment. I thought everything was OK at the school that I have been doing some relief work in. I haven’t had any issues with the students and …

Teacher Registration review of Board

21st May, 2019

The Teacher Registration and Standards Act 2004 (the Act) has not been subject to significant legislative review or amendment since 2005 and it is time to consider whether the Act continues to provide the best framework possible for a high quality teaching profession in South …

Time’s Up : Urgent Action Needed To End Sexual Harassment At Work

1st March, 2019

Sexual Harassment is a workplace issue. Rates Of Sexual Harassment In Australia Are Alarming Everyone deserves to be safe at work and in their community, yet the current rates of sexual harassment in the workplace are alarming.  According to a recent ACTU survey of nearly …

Challenges  to IEU position on religious exemption

1st March, 2019

As the debate on religious schools’ discrimination exemption winds out, a handful of Christian schools in SA are making formal and informal challenges to the IEUA position that both staff and students should be protected from discrimination. They wish to retain the ability to discriminate …

Welcome back – another year underway already

1st March, 2019

2019 is going to be full-on so I hope some of that holiday refreshed feeling remains. Independent schools are on a continuous cycle of Enterprise Agreement negotiations but we are about to start negotiations for the next Lutheran sector agreement. Later in the year we …

School Principals Subjected to Unacceptable Levels of Violence

1st March, 2019

A confronting headline appeared in the Advertiser newspaper on 27 February with an equally confronting article: ‘Repeated Attacks on SA principals prompt call for Parliamentary enquiry’. According to the latest Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey, which is in its ninth year, 45 …