A week in the life of an IEU Member Services Unit Officer

MSU Officers are specialist staff who provide expert advice and support to members on individual matters. They take calls at the union office and travel across the state to represent members in formal proceedings.

The Point asked one MSU Officer to outline her typical week, to show the issues members raise and the support the unit provides. This Officer spent 18 years in the classroom before joining the IEU as an Organiser, moving into the newly established Member Services Unit in 2025 to focus on individual member matters.

‘Officers support members on everything from personal leave enquiries to complex reportable conduct investigations,’ she said. ‘While this week involved less travel than usual, the cases reflect the core work of the MSU.’

Monday

• Took carriage of a new reportable conduct matter at a Catholic secondary school; such cases often run for 6–12 months or longer

• Continued supporting another member facing allegations ongoing for more than 15 months
  Prepared a member for an upcoming Fair Work Commission hearing

• Resolved an underpayment for an experienced Catholic primary teacher and corrected a 26 January public holiday pay anomaly

• Supported a member reporting serious workplace threats in a flexible learning setting (now involving police)

• Assisted a member recovering from life-saving surgery to negotiate reasonable adjustments, despite employer resistance

• Helped an RTO member plan a safe exit after prolonged bullying

• Advised a Catholic secondary member on an improvement plan and formal employer requirements

• Assisted another member to lodge a formal workplace bullying complaint.

Tuesday

• Attended the weekly MSU strategy meeting with officers and industrial lawyers

• Completed a two-hour phone shift covering pay queries, increment delays, expired Agreement conditions, and VCEA matters

• Guided members through reportable conduct procedures, reviewing draft responses and explaining likely timeframes

• Prepared an independent school member for their first conduct meeting

• Helped a member access special maternity leave due to medical concerns, navigating employer resistance to IEU involvement

• Assisted with a breach of confidential medical information in a Catholic school

• Supported a member through a conduct-related termination process.

Wednesday

• Ninety-minute phone shift responding to general enquiries

• Travelled six hours for an in-person conflict resolution meeting

• Reviewed and recalculated four months of payslips to resolve a payroll discrepancy

• Supported a member stood down during a reportable conduct investigation, preparing for initial meetings

• Helped a bullied member develop a safe exit strategy after the employer rejected alternative arrangements

• Spoke with a non-member seeking assistance but was unable to act under union policy.

Thursday

• Attended five hours of Fair Work Commission mediation (including travel), securing a successful outcome

• Advised members disputing employer claims that time in lieu was ‘owed’; clarified that TIL is an entitlement, not a debt

• Supported members in a Lutheran school regarding delayed pay increments

• Continued assisting with a reportable conduct matter ongoing for 16 months

• Helped a member exit a workplace safely following unresolved OHS failures and delayed investigations

• Resolved a dispute about sick leave re-crediting during long service leave

• Responded to parental leave entitlement queries and investigated a direction to complete unpaid first aid training on a non-work day

• Conducted a one-hour phone shift and organised initial meetings for a new reportable conduct allegation.

Friday

• Attended a four-hour reportable conduct procedural meeting (including travel)

• Negotiated a separation agreement for a member

• Advised on incorrect claims that 19 hours of TIL were ‘owed’

• Followed up a confidentiality breach in which details of disciplinary action were shared with staff, affecting a member’s wellbeing

• Supported a member refused long service leave on unclear ‘reasonable business grounds’

• Assisted a specialist teacher denied planning time despite 80 hours of documented overtime

• Supported members facing procedural fairness failures in independent school investigations

• Helped develop a workplace safety plan after mishandling of an intervention order

• Advised learning support officers underpaid for camps contrary to Agreement provisions.

MSU Officers regularly assist members facing complex, high-stakes workplace issues.  The most common include:

Reportable conduct allegations – Guidance through lengthy investigations and procedural meetings.

Workplace bullying or threats – Support to document concerns, secure safety, and plan next steps.

Pay and leave disputes – Underpayments, time in lieu,  long service leave, and  maternity leave issues.

Improvement plans and termination processes – Advice, preparation, and representation.

Occupational health and safety concerns – Action where employers fail to manage risks.

How MSU Officers help

• Explain rights and  procedural requirements

• Prepare members for meetings, hearings, and mediation

• Advocate and negotiate  directly with employers

• Develop practical solutions, including workplace adjustments or safe exit strategies

• Ensure fairness and protect members’ rights and wellbeing