New Deakin fixed-term contracts - just more insecurity and less pay?

May 2025

Deakin’s Fixed-Term Contracts: What’s Happening?

Deakin has moved many sessional and new staff onto short-term Recent Professional Practice fixed-term contracts, claiming this provides “more stable employment.” In reality, these contracts strip away job security, cut pay, and push workloads to unsustainable levels.

This isn’t right—and we want to preserve your conditions. NTEU wants to launch legal action against what we see as Deakin’s misuse of these contracts. However, we can only represent our members, and if you’ve been affected, we need your help to build the case.

If you would like us to run the case complete the form below, and join NTEU now. You can also contact your NTEU Deakin Branch for more information.

Have You Been Impacted?

We’re collecting evidence to challenge Deakin’s actions.
If you’ve been placed on a Recent Professional Practice contract, and do not believe that your recent work experience is relevant to the units you are teaching, we want to hear from you.

Please help us to help you and your colleagues by completing the form below.

Your information will remain confidential and will only be used to support this campaign. If we do seek to share your information with management, we will seek your consent before doing so.

What's wrong with Deakin's new fixed-term contracts? Your questions answered.

1. What is happening with Deakin’s fixed-term contracts?

Deakin has started offering sessional academic staff fixed-term contracts under the title of “Associate Teaching Fellow.”
These contracts fall under categories such as:

Recent Professional Practice
Disestablished Organisational Area
Measures to Provide Security of Employment

The NTEU is concerned that the “recent professional practice” category is being misused, creating insecure, short-term jobs with lower pay and excessive workloads instead of genuine job security.

2. Why is the NTEU taking action?

The Enterprise Agreement (EA) 2023 provides a clear pathway for casual staff to transition into continuing roles—not just short-term fixed contracts. The university’s approach undermines this commitment and leaves staff worse off.
We are particularly concerned about:

Staff being engaged on Recent Professional Practice contracts in inappropriate circumstances.
Unfair notice periods – Staff on short-term contracts are required to give 3 months’ notice, even when contracts last just 16 weeks.
Excessive workloads – Many staff are given a 90% teaching allocation, without consultation.
Lack of transparency – Staff don’t receive workload details until after signing and are often denied access to the Faculty Work Allocation Model (WAM).
Unreasonable pay cuts – Many fixed-term staff are paid at Level A1 or A6, significantly lower than what they earned as sessional academics.

3. What’s wrong with the notice period?

Most contracts we’ve reviewed require a 3-month resignation notice period, even for contracts lasting less than 4 months.
This is excessive, unreasonable, and unnecessary.

It prevents staff from seeking other opportunities.
It offers no real job security—just restrictions on leaving.

4. How are workloads being determined?

We understand that management’s position is that staff on recent professional practice contracts are wholly exempt from the academic workload provisions of the Enterprise Agreement. Furthermore, staff are not told their workload before signing their contract. Once assigned, workloads are often extreme, with some academics reporting 50+ hours of work per week.
The Enterprise Agreement states that workload allocation must be:

Transparent
Consultative
Fair

However, Deakin’s process violates these commitments by assigning workloads without discussion and denying access to workload models.

5. Why is the NTEU concerned about annual leave?

Fixed-term staff are being required to take annual leave before their contracts end, even if they haven’t accumulated excess leave.
Under the Enterprise Agreement (Clause 49.3), the university can only direct staff to take leave if they have more than 20 days accrued—yet fixed-term staff are being forced to use leave regardless of accruals.
We are concerned that not only is this inconsistent with the Enterprise Agreement, it will further exacerbate workload stress.

6. Are workloads excessive?

Yes. Staff have reported being assigned up to 55 hours of work per week.
The Enterprise Agreement (Clause 48.2) and the Fair Work Act (Section 62) prohibit excessive or unreasonable hours, yet many staff on these contracts are being pushed beyond sustainable workloads.
Example: One staff member’s assigned workload:

Week 7: 53 hours
Week 8: 55 hours
Week 9: 51 hours
Week 10: 45 hours

This is unsustainable and unfair.

7. How does pay compare to sessional rates?

Fixed-term contracts significantly reduce pay compared to sessional employment.

Sessional staff earn B2 rates for lecturing and higher marking.
Fixed-term staff do not receive the 25% casual loading or rolled-up tutorial/lecture rates.
Those without a PhD are being placed at A1, even after years of experience.
Those with a PhD are being placed at A6, even if they previously earned higher sessional rates (e.g., Level B2).

8. What is the NTEU doing about this?

We are:

Taking steps to launch legal action against Deakin’s misuse of fixed-term contracts.
Challenging unfair workload practices and pay classifications.
Fighting for real job security, not just short-term fixes.

Help us help you. If you’re affected, submit your details today via the form on this page.

Does this apply to you?

If you’re affected, submit your details today via the form on this page. If you know of someone who could be affected by these changes, or if you'd like to circulate this information to your colleagues, we encourage you to share this page. The more information we can accrue the better our case becomes to fix this issue.

Not a member yet? Join the NTEU today!