Flinders University acts to correct historical casual staff payments

Flinders University acts to correct historical casual staff payments Posted on October 9, 2026October 9, 2026 by News Desk Flinders University has identified shortfalls in historical minimum-engagement payments affecting some casual staff and is taking action to ensure affected current and former employees receive the money they are owed. The issue came to light through a review initiated by the University into past payment practices for casual staff. The review found that, in some circumstances, casual staff were paid for the hours they worked but were not employed for the minimum three-hour period of engagement required for their roles under workplace obligations. This does not mean staff worked hours without being paid. Rather, some staff should have been engaged for a longer period of time to comply with the minimum engagement period and so the University will now make an additional payment. The University acknowledges that these staff did not receive their full entitlements at the time and sincerely apologises to those affected. Flinders identified the issue through its own review and undertook further work to understand its full extent. An independent external expert has reviewed the University’s process and findings, and the University has informed both the Fair Work Ombudsman and the National Tertiary Education Union. Vice-Chancellor Professor Colin Stirling said the University has committed to addressing this issue openly, thoroughly and as quickly as possible. “We initiated this review because we wanted to be confident that our people were receiving everything they were entitled to. When the review uncovered this issue, we took responsibility and began the work needed to put it right. “The staff affected were paid for the hours they worked but, in some cases, the engagement did not meet the minimum time required and the University is now making an additional payment to cover the additional time. I recognise that this meant they received less than their full entitlement, and I sincerely apologise. “We are contacting affected current and former staff directly and will pay them the additional amounts owed, together with associated superannuation and applicable interest. “Our priority is to ensure every affected staff member receives their full entitlement and to put stronger safeguards in place so our people can have confidence in our payment practices.” The issue occurred in the context of a complex enterprise agreement that includes a number of provisions and exceptions to the three-hour minimum engagement period. While this complexity provides important context for how the errors occurred, it does not diminish the University’s responsibility. The University has introduced stronger system controls, monitoring and oversight to address the issue, in addition to improving guidance and training for the relevant teams responsible. This will be supported by regular checks and reporting, annual governance reviews, and ongoing reviews of payment systems and processes. The review identified that additional payments totaling just over $965,827 were required for 1405 current and former staff, equating to an average payment of $687. Affected staff will receive information explaining how they have been affected, the additional payment they will receive and the support available to them. They will receive any outstanding entitlements, together with associated superannuation and applicable interest. Current and former staff identified in the review are being contacted directly with information about their entitlements, with dedicated support services available to help. Anyone with questions or concerns about this matter is encouraged to contact the University for assistance: Mailbox: paymentquery@flinders.edu.au Webpage: https://staff.flinders.edu.au/employee-resources/benefits-pay/payment-remediation-program Media Enquiries: Email: newsdesk@flinders.edu.au Mobile: 0466 527 875 Posted in Uncategorized