Once sessional staff have been recruited a casual staff plan must be completed before the start of trimester. If you need assistance to complete the casual staff plan, contact DBS Support or DLS support.

Throughout the trimester you will approve casual staff time sheets via the online HR system. This approval process must happen as soon as possible after the staff member has submitted their claim. If you are unsure of how to approve claims, ask one of the HR team for support.

To open the Casual Plan System, please use the link provided on your Staff Data Portal. Note DBS Support or DLS Support staff are available to assist you with the system. Detailed instructions for Unit Chairs on how to complete a Casual Plan available on the B&L Wiki.

Using the Casual Plan System from non-Deakin networks

• For the best experience, we recommend using the Casual Plan System while connected to the Deakin network. Of course, this is not always feasible.
• If you must submit or approve casual plans remotely, connect your computer to the Cisco AnyConnect (VPN) before you open the Staff Data Portal. Instructions for using Cisco AnyConnect are available for Windows and Apple Mac.

Important: Notification emails do not work when using the system remotely. Please manually notify the relevant people when submitting or approving plans. This is critical when Partially Approving plans remotely, as the email informs the requester that they need to make changes.

The Faculty provides training to all new staff before the commencement of each trimester, and also on an ad hoc basis. All new sessional staff should undertake training and each year sessional academic staff are offered up to four (4) hours of paid professional development as determined by the Director of Teaching. Sessionals who have completed professional development should claim their hours via the Professional Development for Sessional staff form

Sessional staff Engagement – potential sessionals should not commence any work until they have received and accepted an offer via the DeakinRecruit on-line system. The starting point of this process is the Casual Staff Plan. Before sessionals can commence work, they must meet the following requirements: 

• Working With Children Check – all sessional academic staff involved in teaching and teaching-related activities, whether based in Melbourne or interstate, are required to hold a current and valid Working With Children Check (WWCC), no exemptions.  It is very important that potential sessional staff are aware of this legal requirement so that teaching related tasks can commence in a timely manner. 
• AQF Rating / Teaching Level Assessment – The AQF assessment of new sessional academic staff will be recorded in the Casual Academic Portal by the People Services team. This is not the responsibility of the Unit Chair, instead your DoT will undertake the assessment of any new sessional academic staff to verify their AQF level and their teaching level assessment via the Casual Plan process.
• Conflict of Interest – the casual engagement process requires a clear determination as to whether a Conflict of Interest, whether actual, potential or perceived, exists or does not exist. Unit Chairs / DOTs must declare a COI as soon as practicable and indicate this on the Casual Plan (Staff Info Section). Once you click the COI box you will be taken to the Service Now Conflict of Interest Declaration Form. There must be sufficient detail to enable the Head of Department, Executive Dean and Central HRD to assess the situation before engagement can progress.
• Referee Checks or Vouch – all new sessional academic staff engaged must either have a current Deakin staff member ‘vouch for’ them or provide the Unit Chair with an external referee. This information will be used during the contract issuing stage. If a casual provides an external referee People Services will have to complete a referee check via Xref before the on-line engagement process can commence.