Question On Notice No. 105 asked in the Legislative Council on 15 August 2017 by Hon Tjorn Sibma
Question Directed to the: Minister for Education and Training
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Question
For the 2016-17 financial year, can the Minister provide the following information:
(a) the total dollar amount spent on employees on fixed term contracts and casual staff by each department and agency under the Minister's control;
(b) the total number of employees on fixed term contracts and casual staff by department/agency and with information concerning their individual position and level;
(c) how many employees on fixed term contracts and casual staff are currently employed in each department/agency under the Minister's control;
(d) how many employees on fixed term contracts and casual staff have worked in the same position for longer than six months;
(e) under what criteria or process may fixed term contract or casual staff be made permanent; and
(f) will the Minister list the types of contracts used for the purpose of short term employment?
Answered on 13 September 2017
Department of Education
a. For 2016-17, the Department of Education spent $776,424,033 on salaries for fixed-term contracts and casual staff.
b. Collation of information concerning each individual fixed term or casual staff member’s position title and level is considered an undue use of agency resources. For the remainder of what the question asks please refer clause c).
c. As at 24 August 2017, the total paid FTE for fixed-term and casual is 10 527.
d. 3 806 FTE employed on fixed-term contracts have worked in the same position for at least six months. This is based on fixed-term employees being paid consistently between March 2017 and August 2017 in the same position. In line with industrial agreements, casual appointments can only be made for a period of no more than 20 days.
e. As per WA Labor’s 2017 election commitment, processes and criterial for transition from fixed and casual employment to permanency are currently under review.
f. The Department utilises both casual employment and fixed-term contracts for the purpose of short-term employment. The fixed-term contracts are standard templates generated though the Recruitment Advertising Management System (RAMS). This sets out the reasons for the fixed-term contract consistent with the provisions contained within the industrial instruments. This information is also now being recorded within the Department’s Human Resources Management information System (HRMIS).
Department of Training and Workforce Development
Note: The following answers include trainees and exclude Senior Executive Service and Governing Council members.
a.
Agency | Fixed Term | Casual | Total |
Department of Training and Workforce Development | $2,895.041.78 | Nil | $2,895,041.78 |
North Metropolitan TAFE | $20,700,544.55 | $6,501,913.80 | $27,202,458.35 |
South Metropolitan TAFE | $21,363,723.93 | $15,141,610.08 | $36,505,334.01 |
South Regional TAFE | $7,309,833.41 | $4,244,142.09 | $11,553,975.50 |
Central Regional TAFE | $8,960,523.46 | $2,550,257.74 | $11,510,781.20 |
North Regional TAFE | $5,405,837.42 | $2,133,745.26 | $7,539,582.68 |
Total | $66,635,504.55 | $30,571,668.97 | $97,207,173.52 |
b. Collation of information concerning each individual fixed term or casual staff member’s position title and level is considered an undue use of agency resources. For the remainder of what the question asks please refer clause c).
c.
Agency | Fixed Term | Casual | Total |
Department of Training and Workforce Development | 47 | Nil | 47 |
North Metropolitan TAFE | 254 | 373 | 627 |
South Metropolitan TAFE | 263 | 490 | 753 |
South Regional TAFE | 99 | 210 | 309 |
Central Regional TAFE | 112 | 127 | 239 |
North Regional TAFE | 49 | 75 | 124 |
Total | 824 | 1275 | 2099 |
Excludes casuals who have not worked in the past six months.
d.
Agency | Fixed Term | Casual | Total |
Department of Training and Workforce Development | 16 | Nil | 16 |
North Metropolitan TAFE | 212 | 106* | 318 |
South Metropolitan TAFE | 209 | 261 | 470 |
South Regional TAFE | 82 | 73 | 155 |
Central Regional TAFE | 93 | 42 | 135 |
North Regional TAFE | 32 | 21 | 53 |
Total | 644 | 503 | 1147 |
Excludes casuals who have not worked in the past six months.
*Excludes casual staff who have not worked for two consecutive pay periods.
e. As per WA Labor’s 2017 election commitment, processes and criterial for transition from fixed and casual employment to permanency are currently under review.
f. Fixed term and casual contracts of employment.
Building Construction Industry Training Fund
a.
Fixed Term | Casual | Total |
$17,694 | Nil | $17,694 |
This answer excludes Senior Executive Service members.
b. Collation of information concerning each individual fixed term or casual staff member’s position title and level is considered an undue use of agency resources. For the remainder of what the question asks please refer clause c).
c.
Fixed Term | Casual | Total |
1 | Nil | 1 |
d.
Fixed Term | Casual | Total |
Nil | Nil | Nil |
e. As per WA Labor’s 2017 election commitment, processes and criterial for transition from fixed and casual employment to permanency are currently under review.
f. Temporary staff.