Recently HACSU members at KAU contacted their union upon Scope requesting all employees to sign documents titled “Confirmation of Agreed Hours”. Members raised concern about these contracts of employment as they contained significant changes, including:

• Highlighting a requirement to move employees between different sites from time to time and a move away from a commitment to positions remaining based at the service.

• Inserting of paragraph regarding Conflict of Interest in new/revised contracts. This placed limits on employees’ ability to work anywhere, not just those with those organisations or business that may cause a conflict of interest.

• Including a Non-Solicitation term

HACSU wrote to Scope arguing that the contracts were unrealistic and a potentially unlawful restraint of trade. Employees, once they leave Scope, have the right to use any expertise acquired during their service in legitimate competition and that with the advent of the NDIS.

HACSU requested that the clauses be deleted from the contracts and advised all members concerns not to sign such a contract. This advice remains.

Scope have responded by advising that revised wording has already been incorporated into the new Terms & Conditions and the employer no longer uses the letter that was causing concern. However, HACSU has not yet sighted any improved contracts and therefore we advise ALL members not to sign or agree to any such contracts of employment, Letters of Appointment or Confirmation of Agreed Hours until such time as we have resolved the issue to our and our members’ satisfaction.