Goal 8:
Decent Work and Economic Growth
Employment Practice: Appeal Process
The University of Newcastle maintains a formal Complaints Management Procedure to allow employees to appeal decisions or raise grievances regarding employment rights, pay, and related matters. For 2024, this policy was effective from the 8th of April 2024 and reviewed on the 15th of April 2025. The current policy will be reviewed in 2027.
- The Complaints Management Procedure is publicly available and outlines how staff, students, and affiliates can lodge complaints, seek internal resolution, and escalate if necessary.
- It describes the stages of complaint handling:
- Informal resolution (encouraged as a first step)
- Formal complaint submission
- Investigation process
- Findings and response
- Right to appeal / review
- The procedure ensures fairness, transparency, confidentiality, and provides safeguards against adverse action for complainants acting in good faith.
- It is applicable to complaints relating to employee rights, conditions, remuneration, discrimination, harassment, and other employment matters.
- Additionally, the Enterprise Agreement includes provisions for appealing workload allocations (Section 5.7), resolving disputes (Section 11.2), and reviewing decisions (Schedule 16). These mechanisms help ensure that workers feel secure in their rights to challenge decisions and raise grievances.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.