SGOs: (At) last, but certainly not least
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 128 No 4, 9 June 2023, page no.18
Wednesday 28 June will mark one year since the Senior Guidance Officer (SGO) position was fully transitioned into the Teachers’ Award – State (TA-state).
While they had always been paid under the teachers’ award, SGOs previously worked under public service (PS) conditions, with longer daily rostered hours and access to only four weeks of recreation leave each year.
What started as an initiative leading up to EB6 (circa July 2008) was ultimately achieved in the final days before the expiry of the EB9 agreement.
On Tuesday 28 June 2022 (the first week of the school holiday break), SGOs went to work under the Public Service Award and then finished the work day transitioned to the TA-state – quite a lot to achieve in a single day!
The initial proposal, titled “Working smarter, not longer: enhancing the work-life balance of EQ senior guidance officers”, was the outcome of a broader meeting of the statewide SGO group held in Brisbane in May 2008.
There were several reasons why this proposal was developed, progressed, and eventually achieved, some reflecting a degree of self-interest and others aligned with making the SGO role more accessible and reflective of contemporary professional practices. They included:
- the need for access to additional leave on an ongoing basis to have more time to spend with family, friends, pets and pursuing personal passions
- the ongoing anomalies of differing conditions under two different awards when working a “split fractions” as both a guidance officer (GO) and SGO, requiring two different employee numbers for payroll purposes and pay advices each fortnight
- the ongoing problem of suitably experienced and high performing GOs being reluctant to move into the SGO role because of less favourable working conditions, especially those GOs with younger children
- a united and unwavering position within the broader the SGO group that our core work aligns with schools, as opposed to non-school settings, reflecting the vital focus on supporting staff, students, and school communities.
This achievement was a long time coming (15 years plus). During this period, many of the SGOs who were involved with the development of the original proposal had moved on to other positions or retired. In many regards, this successful EB outcome represents their enduring legacy.
After waiting so long for this outcome, it would be a reasonable assumption that the ensuing celebrations would have been both long and loud, extending across the state. However, in true SGO fashion, this accomplishment was met with a mix of gratitude, understated pride, and a sense of quiet satisfaction.
If this outcome is viewed in terms of gaining what this group rightly deserved, the length of time involved could be viewed with a degree of disappointment. However, when considered from the perspective of the SGO position now being where it truly belongs, fully within the Teachers’ Award – State, then it was definitely worth the wait!
"many of the SGOs who were involved with the development of the original proposal had moved on to other positions or retired. In many regards, this successful EB outcome represents their enduring legacy."