Guide: Entitlements for Educators Working in Remote Communities
What are the hip-pocket incentives?
Working in a remote school comes with a number of financial incentives. These are usually dependent on your category of remoteness and are itemised below and in Schedule 5 of the 2021-2024 Non-Contract Principals, Teachers and Assistant Teachers’ Enterprise Agreement.
The Remote Incentive Allowance is included in your fortnightly salary and is paid on a pro rata basis for part time employees. A Remote Retention Payment is paid annually on completion of 12 months continuous service in a remote locality.
Are there other reasons to work remote?
The AEU has worked to ensure that teachers receive additional benefits for working in isolated areas. These include:
- Rental concessions of up to 100% for accommodation provided by the Government.
- Guaranteed job Transfers to Darwin, Palmerston, Alice Springs or Katherine after three years of remote service.
- Fares Out of Isolated Localities (FOILs) are paid travel allowances out of remote communities. You receive two or three FOILs per year depend on where you teach.
- Up to four Business Days per year for travel to regional centres to access services not available in remote settings.
- Special Study Leave program that operates on a points system and applies to teachers in designated remote localities. Study Leave is available after four, five or 10 years depending on your category of remoteness.
| $/pa | Special Category | Category 1 | Category 2 | Category 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remote Incentive Allowance — single | $1391 | $4627 | $5400 | $8486 |
| Remote Incentive Allowance — dependant rate | $1735 | $5646 | $6586 | $10348 |
| Remote retention payment (annual) | n/a | $500 | $750 | $1000 |
A few things to be aware of…
- Check your payslip! Make sure that you are being paid the allowances you are entitled to — we have dealt with a number of cases of members being forced to repay thousands of dollars to the Department because they were being paid allowances they weren’t entitled to.
- Check your pay slip after each 12 months of continuous service to ensure you have been paid your remote retention bonus payment.
- Housing entitlement —there are conditions attached to your Government Employee Housing (GEH) entitlement such as maintenance of the house and yard. Ensure you comply with lease obligations or you may be billed for cleaning and other costs when you leave. It is also in your interest to raise any concerns about repairs needed and ensure that regular inspections of your GEH house are carried out.
- Cultural awareness —most remote deployments involve living and working in an Indigenous community. Your school should ensure you are provided with appropriate cultural induction. Additionally, ask your school to enrol you in appropriate cultural awareness PD courses. Make sure you utilise your right to access employer-funded counselling services if you are experiencing stress, including culture shock or negative feelings of isolation.
- Your personal health and wellbeing are important. Use services made available and follow the advice of your doctor.
Reference:
2021-2024 Non-Contract Principals, Teachers and Assistant Teachers’ Enterprise Agreement.
Download:
Guide to Entitlements for Educators Working in Remote Communities.pdf
