As a current Intermittent Employee engaged under a Casual contract at APS3 level, I believe I have contributed to the overall performance of the Department of Human Services by completing tasks that are over and above the APS3 level. Firstly, it is important to understand that not all Casual employees want full time work and casual terms are the best option based on a work/life balance. As a casual we have to go through the process of waiting to determine our employment each year which is an extremely stressful period when our focus should be on serving the community as effectively as possible.
We are also unable to be assessed under APS4 consideration due to our engagement and yet we are as competent and skilled as many of our colleagues. We often hear from our senior staff that we are getting a higher rate of payment and this is the reason that casuals cannot receive a higher skill rate. I wanted to point out that this rate of payment is related to purely a loading to compensate for no long service leave, no sick leave and no annual leave. In addition, we are advised that to be considered for APS4 that there are many other factors to take into consideration and a casual is not able to access this process.
As many of us are completing skills and tags that are considered to be APS 4 such as complaints, appeals etc. and we are also assessed on our renewal of contract for performance such as quality call listening, adherence, productivity the consideration for the scale for casuals should also be applied.
Recently we were training in the Main Business Lines for the Telephone simplification again enhancing our skills equivalent to those that are able to be assessed as an APS4.
My recommendation would be that all roles should be commenced as an APS3 which covers all probation periods. Once the probation is completed all employees should be able to be assessed as an APS4 level regardless of their engagement terms.