RTS financial and professional incentives

General Agreement 2023

The provisions contained within this part apply only to teachers and school administrators, employed at schools designated by the employer as the Remote Teaching Service (RTS). The provisions of this part cease to have effect when a teacher or school administrator ceases to be employed at schools designated the Remote Teaching Service.

Where a provision in this part is inconsistent with any other provision contained within the Agreement, the provisions of this part will apply.

Engagement in the RTS

Clause 45

45.1 Employees who commence employment in a Remote Teaching Service school to fill a clear vacancy are employed on a permanent basis subject to probation pursuant to clause 8 – Probation of the Award.

45.2 Employees who commence employment in the Remote Teaching Service to fill a temporary vacancy (e.g. due to the substantive Employee being absent on Approved leave) will be engaged on a fixed term contract. Subject to probation pursuant to clause 8 – Probation of the Award and the completion of two years’ Continuous Service in the Remote Teaching Service the Employee will become a permanent Employee.

45.3 The Employees engaged under clause 45.1 who fail to meet the requirements of probation will not retain their permanency.

45.4 The Employer will make all reasonable endeavours to ensure Employees are afforded the ability to engage in two years’ Continuous Service in the Remote Teaching Service.

45.5 (a)  The first twelve months’ service in the Remote Teaching Service is known as the “release from remote teaching service period” of employment during which the suitability of the Employee for work in the Remote Teaching Service will be determined.

(b)  An Employee who:

i.  does not successfully complete the “release from remote teaching service period” of employment; or

ii.  at the end of the “release from remote teaching service period” is determined by the Employer as being unsuitable for the Remote Teaching Service; or

iii. determines they are unsuitable for the Remote Teaching Service

is entitled to transfer out of the Remote Teaching Service within a reasonable period.

The remaining employment is therefore no longer subject to the Remote Teaching Service provisions and the probationary period will continue to be subject to clause 8 – Probation of the Award.

45.6 (a)  All Employees new to the Remote Teaching Service are required to participate in structured induction programs prior to and during the early part of their employment.

(b)  If the induction is scheduled prior to the commencement of employment, attendance will be paid in accordance with Table 6 of Schedule A – Salaries of this Agreement; provided that Employees will not receive student vacation leave credits during the period of induction.

(c)  Professional support will be provided, in consultation with the Employee, as relevant needs are identified.

45.7 Employees, other than relief Employees, will preferably be located at the one remote teaching service school for a minimum of three years.

45.8 (a)  Upon the completion of three years’ Continuous Service in the Remote Teaching Service, Employees are guaranteed a transfer into a metropolitan or country region of choice, subject to availability.

(b)  Any Employee seeking to remain in the Remote Teaching Service beyond the normal three- or four-year period may do so with the approval of the Employer.

(c)  An Employee who is Approved to remain in the Remote Teaching Service pursuant to clause 37.8(b) maintains the entitlement at clause 37.8(a) when leaving the Remote Teaching Service.

45.9 Teachers holding a substantive position who are appointed to the Remote Teaching Service will maintain their substantive position for the term of the appointment up to three years.
 

RTS part time

46.1 An Employee may take up a part-time position within the Remote Teaching Service subject to the approval of the Employer.

46.2 Part-time Employees will accrue Remote Teaching Service entitlements on a pro rata basis, in accordance with the designated work fraction and length of tenure in the Remote Teaching Service.
 

RTS internal relief

47.1 Payment of Internal Relief for DOTT time to a Remote Teaching Service Teacher is subject to the following:

(a)  the Teacher can be required to undertake Internal Relief teaching of up to 50% of their DOTT entitlement per term without receiving any additional payment;

(b)  if Teacher relief cannot be obtained, a Remote Teaching Service Teacher undertaking Teacher relief beyond the 50% requirement per term will be paid pursuant to clause 26 – Internal Relief of this Agreement for that period in excess of the 50%; and

(c)  If required, the Teacher will undertake relief of up to four consecutive weeks at any one time, within a cluster of schools. This period may be extended by agreement with the Employee.
 

Allowance for hosting a relief teacher

47.2 Remote Relief – Accommodation/Meals

(a)  Where casual relief Teachers who undertake duties for short periods in the Remote Teaching Service are required to be accommodated by an onsite host Teacher, the host Teacher is reimbursed $45.00 per day by the Department for the duration of the relief period for food and other costs incurred by the host Teacher.

(b)  Reimbursement is only available after all Internal Relief commitments have been undertaken by the casual relief Teachers.

(c)  A casual relief Teacher residing within the location where duty is to be undertaken is not eligible for this reimbursement.

47.3 Where practicable, all casual relief Teachers will be accommodated in Teacher-occupied housing. Commercial accommodation will be considered as a last resort.
 

Flexible school year and school organisation

48.1 To meet the educational needs of individual Remote Teaching Service schools, and subject to the approval of the Director General, the school year and hours per day will be flexible to take into account factors including education, culture, climate, community and locality.

48.2 The principal may establish flexible work patterns. Employees will be consulted during this process and will have input into any changes to hours of instruction, daily attendance and the school year prior to any implementation.

48.3 Face to face teaching and DOTT time will be the same as for non-Remote Teaching Service schools, subject to flexibility as provided for in this clause to meet the specific needs of the remote teaching service.

48.4 To maximise the expertise of Employees and to match resources to learning programs, the principal in conjunction with other staff will form groups for instructional purposes according to need.

48.5 The principal, in conjunction with other Employees, will balance teaching loads throughout the school year to maximise flexibility. Such flexibility includes the varying of roles, including the role division between Primary and Secondary teaching.
 

Financial incentives for remote teachers

49.1 The financial incentives for Employees will be paid pursuant to Schedule E – Remote Teaching Service Allowances of this Agreement.

49.2 Allowances

(a) Remote Teaching Service Employees are entitled to the following:

i.  a “school specific” Remote Teaching Service allowance paid in addition to the Employees’ fortnightly Base Salary as detailed in Schedule F – Remote Teaching Service Allowance of this Agreement; and

ii. district allowances as prescribed in Clause 24 – District allowances.

(b)  Remote Teaching Service Employees are not entitled to payment in accordance with clause 25 – Band and Special Responsibility Allowances of this Agreement and clause 50 – Country Incentives Allowance of the Award.
 

District allowances

RTS allowances schedule

Schedule F.  Remote Teaching Service Allowances

Employees in the Remote Teaching Service will receive the following allowances:

*School currently closed
 

Leave and travel benefits

Bereavement leave

49.3 Bereavement Leave

(a)  The Employee is eligible for up to ten days’ paid bereavement leave, subject to the requirements of clause 29 – Bereavement Leave of the Award.

(b)  Where a bereavement requires travel away from the Remote Teaching Service school, the Employer will pay the Employee travel costs up to the equivalent of the cheapest available return airfare (at the time) to Perth.

Information on bereavement leave can be found on Ikon.
 

Parental leave and travel costs

49.4 Parental Leave and Travel Costs

(a)  An employee commencing parental leave is entitled to be paid the cost of return travel, up to the cost of the cheapest (at the time) return airfare (or equivalent) from the school to the nearest main centre as per Schedule G – Remote Teaching Service Schools and Main Centres.

(b)  An Employee whose Partner is commencing parental leave is entitled to the provision contained in clause 49.4(a), notwithstanding the Partner may not be employed by the Department.

(c)  An Employee whose Partner has given birth or is expecting a child at another location is entitled to travel and up to one-week paid Partner leave pursuant to clause 39 – Partner Leave of this Agreement. Travel will be paid to the cost of the cheapest (at the time) return airfare (or equivalent) from school to the nearest main centre as outlined in Schedule G – Remote Teaching Service Schools and Main Centres of this Agreement.

(d)  Where parental leave is taken, it is not a break in Continuous Service for the purposes of any of the Remote Teaching Service entitlements.

Information on parental leave can be found on Ikon.
 

Additional personal leave

49.5 Additional Personal Leave

(a)  Employees may access up to five additional days’ personal leave for each completed year of Continuous Service in the Remote Teaching Service to access a recognised health facility or service which is located greater than 50 kilometres from the Employee’s residence. Part-time Employees will receive this entitlement on a pro rata basis.

(b)  The five additional days’ personal leave may be accessed where the Employee is ill or injured or for the purposes of carer’s leave in accordance with clause 35 – Personal Leave of the Agreement.

(c)  Such additional personal leave days will accrue for the Employee whilst based in a Remote Teaching Service school.

(d)  All accrued additional personal leave days are expunged when the Employee leaves the Remote Teaching Service.

(e)  In accordance with clause 35 – Personal Leave of the Agreement, Employees may be required to provide evidence that will satisfy a reasonable person.
 

Remote Teaching Service leave

50.1 Employees are entitled to Remote Teaching Service leave paid at the Employee’s Base Salary as follows:

50.2 Remote Teaching Service leave can only be taken as described above unless otherwise prescribed in this clause.

50.3 Notwithstanding clause 50.2, in special circumstances the Employer may approve access to pro rata Remote Teaching Service leave.

50.4 After leaving the Remote Teaching Service, all Remote Teaching Service leave must be cleared prior to an Employee commencing at a school outside of the Remote Teaching Service.

50.5 The Employer may, in special circumstances, waive clause 50.4.

50.6 The Employer may, in special circumstances allow the cashing out of the Remote Teaching Service leave accrual either in whole or in part.

50.7 Whilst employed in the Remote Teaching Service, accrued Remote Teaching Service leave of 10 or 22 weeks must be taken within three years of it becoming due.

50.8 All Remote Teaching Service leave is to be taken at a mutually agreeable time.

50.9 Remote Teaching Service leave must be cleared in one unbroken period unless otherwise Approved by the Employer.

50.10 The entitlements set out in this clause are transferable within the Remote Teaching Service.

50.11 Where an Employee takes Remote Teaching Service leave over more than one term, any period of student vacation period that occurs between the terms is regarded as Remote Teaching Service leave.
 

Remote Teaching Service breaks

51.1  The accrual of Remote Teaching Service leave entitlements is based on Continuous Service as defined in clause 7 – Definitions in this Agreement.

51.2  For the purpose of this Agreement, the taking of Remote Teaching Service leave is not considered as service for the purpose of accruing additional Remote Teaching Service leave entitlements.

Information on RTS leave can be found on Ikon.
 

RTS additional travel

52.2 Remote Teaching Service Additional Travel

(a)  Employees, and their dependants, who are employed in the Remote Teaching Service are entitled to an additional travel concession once each semester. One concession will be for travel to the main centre as provided for in Schedule G – Remote Teaching Service Schools and Main Centres of this Agreement and the other concession for travel to Perth or another location being conditional on that the travel is to a single location and the cost (based on airfares only) does not exceed what would have been incurred in travelling to Perth or the main centre as applicable, then the Department will only meet the expenditure involved in travelling to the specific destination. These two additional concessions are over and above the concession prescribed in clause 59 – Student Vacation Travel Concessions of the Award.

(b)  The Employer will determine when and how this entitlement can be utilised by Employees.

(c)  Employees are entitled to reimbursement of travel costs.

(d)  Notwithstanding clause 42.2(c), where an employee travels by road using a government vehicle, the Employee is only entitled to reimbursement of expenditure incurred in the use of that vehicle as if the Employee were travelling on Approved Departmental business.

52.3 Where it can be shown that it is less costly or cost equivalent for an Employee to travel to a centre other than the centre designated in Schedule F – Remote Teaching Service Schools and Main Centres of this Agreement, an application may be made to the Employer for the designated centre to be varied.

Information on how to claim this travel concession can be found on Ikon.
 

Transportation of personal effects

Remote Teaching Service Travel and Location

52.1 Transport of Personnel and Effects

In addition to conditions and entitlements provided for Employees outside the Remote Teaching Service, the following additional benefits apply to Remote Teaching Service Employees as follows:

(a)  One motorcycle (per family member), a boat to a maximum length of six metres (with trailer) and a box trailer up to 2m x 1.3m may be approved for transportation; and

(b)  a fair and reasonable excess baggage provision may be allowed to cater for Employees (and their families) who are commencing in the Remote Teaching Service, changing school locations within the Remote Teaching Service or flying out of the Remote Teaching Service.

What is the CTP/RTS and CTP/RTS placements

CTP financial and professional incentives

RTS financial and professional incentives

Allowances

Teaching in The Lands

Government Regional Officer Housing