Frequently Asked Questions

Swinburne has identified unintentional underpayments to some casual employees at the university and at Swinburne College. 

The issues identified relate to: 

• minimum engagement for some casual PAVE/VET employees; 

• application of the incorrect rate for casual staff undertaking unit convening, who do not hold a PhD; 

• calculation of the rates for casual research assistants; 

• incorrect application of the repeat tutorial/repeat lecture rate for some casual academic staff.  

Once the issues were identified, the university has undertaken a thorough review of relevant payments to impacted casual employees, including information collection, complex analysis and assessment of time sheet records and pay data for relevant employees from 2017 to 2023. 

We are contacting all current and former employees who have been identified as being impacted. Our immediate priority is to ensure our people receive the payments they are entitled to, as soon as possible, together with interest and additional superannuation. 

No. The majority of the university’s employees are not impacted by these issues. 

Impacted cohorts of employees include: 

• Swinburne University of Technology: casual academic unit conveners, casual academic research assistants, casual VET teachers and some casual academics who deliver lectures/tutorials. 

• Swinburne College: casual teachers (including those who had been employed by Swinburne University pre-15 February 2020 and transferred to Swinburne College). 

Swinburne is contacting all impacted employees as soon as possible over the next four weeks using employee emails for current staff and the most recent contact information on file for former staff.  

We are contacting all current and former employees who have been identified as being impacted commencing 30 April. 

Current employees will receive either an email to their Swinburne email or a phone call from our People and Culture team. 

Former employees will be contacted using the most recently available contact information on file to verify payment details prior to processing payments. 

If you believe you may be impacted but haven’t heard from us by May 27, please email peopleassist@swin.edu.au or call 03 9214 8600. 

If you are a current Swinburne College employee or have been employed by them since 15 February 2020, you will be contacted by them separately if you have been identified as impacted during your employment with them. 

Employees who have been impacted will be contacted by Swinburne.  

If you believe you may be impacted but haven’t heard from us by May 27, please email peopleassist@swin.edu.au or call 03 9214 8600.

We have identified 1,699 current and former employees who are impacted by this issue, who are owed $2.6 million by the University.  

There are also 114 current and former employees who are owed $245,610 by Swinburne College.