On 31 August 2022 the Fair Work Commission handed down a decision which will require employers covered by the Children’s Services Award to pay an “Educational Leaders Allowance” to relevant employees from 1 November 2022.
Who does the Children’s Services Award apply to?
The Children’s Services Award applies to employers in the “children’s services and early childhood education industry” defined as “the industry of long day care, occasional care (including those occasional care services not licensed), nurseries, childcare centres, day care facilities, family based childcare, out-of-school hours care, vacation care, adjunct care, in-home care, kindergartens and preschools, mobile centres and early childhood intervention programs”.
Who will get the allowance?
The allowance is payable to an employee who is required to discharge the responsibilities of the educational leader under Regulation 118 of the Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011.
The Regulation requires an approved provider of an education and care service to designate, in writing, a suitably qualified and experienced educator, co-ordinator or other individual as educational leader at the service to lead the development and implementation of educational programs in the service.
How much is the allowance?
The allowance is $4,022.05 per annum.
Where an employee is required to act as educational leader for less than 5 days per week, the annual allowance will be payable on a pro rata basis calculated by reference to the number of days per week the employee is required to act as educational leader.
These provisions follow similar provisions that were introduced into the Educational Services (Teachers) Award 2020 from 1 January 2022.
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