POLICY CONTENT

According to the World Health Organisation, adults spend approximately one third of their lives at work. Our work in Early Childhood Education requires sustained high physical, mental and emotional effort to complete our job. A range of workplace determinants can have a negative or positive impact on the health and wellbeing of an employee. Within our School, we are committed to promoting a positive work environment where the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees is acknowledged and supported.  

Wellness is more than just an active process of becoming aware of and learning to make healthy choices for our mental, physical and social needs to ensure our body is maintained and works efficiently. Wellness is “about our overall state of wellbeing that enables us to live and function at our best.”  
(Queensland Government, 2019, Healthier. Happier. Workplaces). 
 

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)

QUALITY AREA 4: Staffing Arrangements

4.2	Professionalism	Management, educators and staff are collaborative, respectful and ethical.
4.2.1	Professional collaboration	Management, educators and staff work with mutual respect and collaboratively, and challenge and learn from each other, recognising each other’s strengths and skills.
4.2.2	Professional Standards	Professional standards guide practice, interactions and relationships.

PURPOSE

We believe in providing a healthy workplace that values and enhances the health and wellbeing of our employees. Promoting wellbeing can help prevent stress and create a positive working environment where individuals and organisations thrive. ‘A healthier workplace means everyone wins.’  
(Queensland Government, 2019, Healthier. Happier. Workplace).  

SCOPE

This policy applies to educators, staff, management, approved provider, nominated supervisor, and students of the School.   

IMPLEMENTATION

As our employees care for and educate children, it is essential to support them with the right tools and resources to make healthier choices to improve their own health and wellbeing. Employees who remain healthy increase productivity, enhance the workplace culture, and embody the healthy behaviours we convey to children on a daily basis. We believe in using the workplace for improving and maintaining good health.  
 
Our School is committed to developing a shared vision to improve the health and wellbeing of our employees. We believe the development of a Wellness Program may build an awareness of a healthy culture within our organisation and motivate and engage all employees to be involved in improving their own health and wellbeing.  
 

Wellness Program  

Our work in Early Childhood Education requires sustained high physical, mental and emotional effort to complete our job.  Such sustained work demands can have an impact on the wellbeing of employees. A Wellness Program may help individual employees overcome specific health-related issues. Our School will encourage employees to create a shared vision to develop a Wellness Program that reflects and addresses the needs of our current staff and creates a wellness culture. Management and staff will co-develop a policy and procedures that support the health and wellbeing of employees.  
 

Components of a Wellness Program may include:  

Environmental wellness:  

• Finding satisfaction within the work environment  
• Ensuring the work environment and relationships are comfortable and supportive  
• Recognising opportunities that lead to new skills and acting on those opportunities  
• Working to ensure the stability and longevity of the natural environment  

Emotional wellness:  

• Keeping a positive attitude  
• Being sensitive to your feelings and the feelings of others 
• Learning to cope with stress 
• Being realistic about your expectations and time  
• Taking responsibility for your own behaviour  
• Dealing with your personal and financial issues realistically  
• Viewing challenges as an opportunity  
• Being able to work independently 
• Being able to work within a team, and knowing you can ask for help  

Spiritual wellness: 

• Being open to different cultures and religions 
• Participating in community projects 
• Defining personal values and ethics 
• Participating in spiritual activities  
• Caring about the welfare of others 

 Social wellness: 

• Being comfortable with and liking yourself as a person 
• Interacting with and accepting people of varying ages, backgrounds, genders, race, lifestyle, etc.  
• Foster healthy and positive relationships with co-workers  
• Communicating your feelings 
• Developing friendships  
• Engaging in social activities  
• Balancing your time to include both work and life  

 Intellectual wellness:  

• Learning because you want to, not because you have been told to 
• Completing required tasks 
• Learning through professional development, including, readings, discussions, workshops, training, etc. 
• Observing what is around you  
• Listening 
• Staying current with early childhood knowledge  
• Questioning  
• Exposing yourself to new experiences 

Physical wellness: 

• Exercising regularly  
• Healthy eating 
• Getting regular check-ups 
• Avoiding the use of tobacco and illicit drugs  

 Wellness Days (2 days per annum)  

• Our 2 Wellness days per year are available to full time and part time employees to promote health and wellbeing. The days allow employees time away from the School whilst still receiving their normal pay for the 2 days. 
• Part time employees will be eligible to access these days where they are employed for 24hrs per week or more at the School. For part time employees the Wellness day will be paid for their usual hours of work. For example, if their usual work hours are 6hrs/day, they will receive two lots of 6hrs of Wellness leave per annum (ie. not 8hrs). 
• The 2 Wellness days can be accessed by full time or part time employees (part time staff members working greater than 24hrs/week) following the 6 month anniversary of the commencement of their employment at the School. 
• The allocation for this Wellness Leave will only appear on your pay slip in the first pay run AFTER your 6 month work anniversary is reached.
• We encourage employees to utilise these Wellness days but ultimately accessing these days is voluntary. There won’t be any adverse action for employees who choose not to access these days, however they cannot be accrued and are not cumulative from year to year. 
• The 2 Wellness days can be used as the employee chooses on any personal, health or wellbeing matters of their choice. 
• The 2 days can be used within the 12-month period of any year from 1 July to 30 June. 
• The 2 days cannot be accessed together and require a minimum 6-month period between the 1st and 2nd day being taken. 
• Wellness days will not be approved to be taken if an employee has any outstanding certifications due on Employment Hero. Where an employee has outstanding certifications, the employee will be redirected to complete these prior to the Wellness Day being approved.
• Neither of the 2 days can be taken either immediately prior to or following a Public Holiday, an Annual Leave day, a rostered day off (eg. for staff working part time or a 9 day fortnight) or immediately prior to or following a School closure day. 
• In order to facilitate staffing across the School, each of these days must be pre-approved by the Director with a minimum of 2 weeks’ notice. The Director will consider the employee’s request in conjunction with the business and operational needs of the School. 
• Simply making a request for a Wellness day does not automatically entitle an employee to take this day. The Director may refuse to authorise a day on the grounds of the operational requirements of the School or in the event the employee has provided insufficient notice of their desire to take leave. The Director will not unreasonably refuse to approve a Wellness day or deny an employee a Wellness day which has already been authorised.  
• Neither of these days accrues Annual Leave and carries 0% leave loading. 
• Superannuation guarantee does not apply to these days as they are not considered Ordinary Time Earnings. 
• Wellness days cannot be accessed following the resignation of an employee. 
• Should an employee use a Wellness Day in the 2 weeks prior to the employees resignation, 
• Wellness days also cannot be accessed if it comes to the attention of the School Director or management that an employee is actively looking for alternative employment.  
• Such an example may be, but is not limited to, the School Director, management or another member of staff being contacted to provide a reference check for a current employee or situations similar to this in nature and outcome. 
• An employee is not entitled to receive payment for the balance of any unused Wellness days accrued but untaken when they cease employment. 
• An employee does not accrue the entitlement to the 2 Wellness days (or part thereof) whilst on their period of parental leave from the School. 

 
Management will:  

• demonstrate commitment to ongoing collaboration and engagement to create a workplace Wellness Program 
• consult with employees to ensure workplace strategies meet the needs of the workplace  
• support employee’s participation in the Wellness Program  
• foster mentoring and development pathways for employees. This may include providing programming time, mentoring sessions, professional development opportunities, capacity building, and supporting wellbeing initiatives. 
• provide a workplace environment and systems that are supportive of employee wellness  
• provide opportunities for employees to participate in wellness activities  
• acknowledge stressful situations for employees, both at work and at home 
• recognise that an employee’s health is determined by several factors, both work and non-work related  
• regularly provide employees with information about the importance of health and wellness (newsletters, brochures, readings, etc.)  
• ensure employees take their required breaks (e.g., morning tea, lunch)  
• encourage employees to support colleagues during difficult situations  

 
Educators will:  

• work within the School’s procedure and policies implemented to address workplace wellness 
• be respectful, caring and inclusive of all colleagues 
• utilise each other’s strengths regardless of qualification and experience   
• commit to further contributions to ongoing collaborative engagement to evaluate and enhance the Wellness Program  
• participate in the Wellness Program  
• communicate their wellness with management   

 

RESOURCES

Alcohol and Other Drugs Information Service (ADIS) 1800 422599 
Beyond Blue- online and phone mental health support. 1300 22 4636 beyondblue.org.au/ 
Beyou- provides educators with knowledge, resources and strategies for helping children and young people achieve their best possible mental health beyou.edu.au/ 
Black Dog Institute- provides information and resources for mood disorders, depression and bipolar disorder. blackdoginstitute.org.au/education-services/workplaces... 
Blue Knot Helpline- access to trained, experienced and trauma-informed counsellors, male and female, support adult survivors of childhood trauma and abuse. 1300 657 380  
Head to Health- Australian Government Department of Health Digital mental health resources for all your needs.  headtohealth.gov.au/ 
Headspace- A meditation app to assist with stress management, sleep and self-care headspace.com/ 
Q Life provides nation-wide peer support and referral service for LGBTI people, their families and health professionals. qlife.org.au/  1800 184 527 
Smiling Mind- Free mindfulness meditation app to help you look after your mental health and manage stress and daily challenges smilingmind.com.au/ 
Ted Talks- explore the latest thinking on how to build a better learning community for educators, families and children. ted.com/talks 
Work Health and Wellbeing- Strengthen your business Workplace Health and Safety Queensland. Toolkit designed to help businesses to improve systems that influence work health and wellbeing.
 

SOURCE

Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014).  
Be You (2018):  beyou.edu.au 
Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics. (2016). 
Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth). 
Guide to the Education and Care Services National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2017). 
Guide to the National Quality Framework. (2017). (Amended 2020).  
New South Wales Government Health  
Ombudsman Act 2001 (Cth). 
Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (Cth).  
Revised National Quality Standard. (2018). 
Queensland Government Healthier. Happier. Workplaces  
Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth).   
Workplace Relations Act 1996 (Cth). 
World Health Organization