No. 4-23, 23 June 2023 | Open PDF

TO: QTU MEMBERS

The QTU is committed to providing members with regular updates on the many ways in which the QTU is working for you, each and every day.

This edition comes to you following the QTU Executive meeting on Monday 19 June. 

Behaviour management – Zero Tolerance campaign

Following May State Council, correspondence was sent to the Department of Education outlining the QTU’s opposition to behaviour reviews and its ongoing concerns with the department’s Maximising Student Learning Days.

Arising from this correspondence, meetings have been held with the senior leadership of the department and the Minister.

Members have been very clear: they have zero tolerance for an approach that places themselves or their students at risk and are calling for the physical and psychosocial health and safety of all students and DoE employees to be prioritised as part of the proposed departmental behaviour review framework.

Additional campaign details will be provided to members in the first week of term.

Biennial Conference: Rights, Responsibilities, Respect

The QTU's Biennial Conference, our Union's supreme decision-making body, will take place between 26 – 28 June at Brisbane City Hall.

The conference, which is themed “Our Meeting Place,” will be attended by more than 250 people, including Conference Delegates, Council Representatives, members of QTU Executive, and senior officers.

During the opening of State Conference on Monday 26 June, the QTU office will be closed. Please note that members can still leave messages, which will be attended to later in the day by QTAD staff and/or the relevant officer.

QTU member survey 

At the heart of the QTU are our democratic structures, which allow members to actively participate and help guide the direction of our Union, including via branch meetings, State Council and Executive. Our wide network of Reps and Organisers provides another important route through which members can have their voices heard.  

From today, we’re providing an additional route for members to have their say on the important issues facing our Union and profession. We’re introducing quarterly member surveys to track member attitudes and satisfaction. 

Please take a moment to complete it - it only takes a few minutes and it will ensure your voice is heard.  

Survey link: https://www.qtu.asn.au/qtu-member-survey-june-2023 

Managing the Risk of Psychosocial Hazards at Work Code of Practice

On the 1 April, amendments to Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Queensland) came into effect, making explicit that all employers have an existing duty of care to the psychosocial health of workers. This is not a new requirement, as Schedule 5 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 clearly defines health as both physical and psychological. 

Work Health and Safety Queensland's Managing the Risk of Psychosocial Hazards at Work Code of Practice 2022 also took effect on 1 April. The code provides the person conducting the business or undertaking (PCBU), its senior officers and workers with a guide to the elements of the workplace that can create psychosocial hazards and how workplaces can proactively risk manage known or foreseeable risks to workers. 

The new code makes it clear that quality consultation with workers is at the heart of managing psychosocial hazards. The consultation message is strongly foregrounded in the code. It is suggested that school WHS committees should consider re-visiting the Queensland's Work Health and Safety Consultation, Cooperation, and Coordination Code of Practice (2021). 

The QTU has published a number of articles in the Queensland Teachers' Journal on psychosocial risks and the code, with the intention of actively drawing members attention to it.  

The QTU is currently in the process of creating comprehensive courses on WHS foundations and on the psychosocial hazards code. More information about these courses will be communicated to members once training materials have been finalised.  

QLearn update

The TurnItIn procurement process for QLearn (Originality Checker) has been finalised, with the relevant procurement guide now available on OnePortal.  

You can email the QLearn team directly here for additional information about the new process: QLearn@qed.qld.gov.au

QLearn resources are also continually being updated. The dedicated OnePortal page can be found here: https://intranet.qed.qld.gov.au/Services/InformationTechnology/elearning-training/qlearn

The right to disconnect 

As the end of the term is upon us, we encourage you to disconnect from digital technology.  

Everyone has the right to a work-life balance. The Department of Education State School Teachers’ Certified Agreement 2022 acknowledges the need for this balance. Clause 9.5.4 states: “Employees are encouraged to disconnect from digital technologies and communications when accessing rest time, weekends and leave/vacation periods, except in exceptional circumstances.” To restore work-life balance, the QTU believes that there is an urgent need for a reduction in digital communications.  

This can be achieved through legislative change by the Queensland Government, systemic policy change by the Department of Education, school protocols supported by the local consultative committee, and individual employees asserting professional autonomy, as encouraged by the Queensland Government via its website. 

How? 

Members are encouraged to use their professional autonomy to determine when to place an “out of office” on their email account, or to work with members at their school on developing a schoolwide disconnecting protocol through a staff communication policy and/or parent communication policy. 

Examples 

• “I have a right to disconnect and will not be engaging with emails between 4pm and 8am tomorrow. If your email is urgent, please contact school administration on (phone number) or (email).” 
• “I am currently teaching. For urgent matters, please contact school administration.” 

• “I work part-time. My rostered work days are (day) and (day).” 
• “Teachers and leaders at our school disconnect from their emails from 3:00pm Friday until 8:30am Monday.” 
   

QTU communications over the school holidays

To respect our members right to disconnect, we will place any information relating to QTU campaigns on our website and social media. If it is information that members need to know prior to returning to school, the QTU will email members and alert you via text.

We hope that you have a well-deserved rest over this holiday period and return ready to continue to make a difference to the lives of the Queensland state school students you work with every day.

Kate Ruttiman
General Secretary

 Authorised by Kate Ruttiman, General Secretary, Queensland Teachers' Union
21 Graham Street, Milton, QLD, Australia, 4064