Legal action looms over education bosses’ roles in emails docking unvaxxed teachers’ pays

Unvaccinated teachers, informed via email their pays would be docked, will lodge an official complaint with the industrial relations commission over the ‘misleading’ emails.

An Education Queensland integrity unit officer, busted for sending “childish” emails from an employee’s computers, is one of the high-ranking officials behind the department’s latest email scandal.

Queensland Education Department Human Resources safety, wellbeing, and Covid executive director David Miller has been addressing phone call complaints after last week’s departmental email alerted 900 unvaccinated staff their pays would be docked over 18 weeks.

Mr Miller also signed initial emails to unvaccinated staff informing them they would be disciplined.

He escaped punishment in 2020 after sending emails from a colleague’s computer despite a substantiated complaint to the Crime and Corruption Commission.

The latest email, sent via a departmental software platform, included a link at the bottom allowing recipients to “unsubscribe” and, although addressed to individuals, was sent out en masse.

It also included claims by Education Queensland assistant Director-General human resources Anne Crowley that she had “carefully considered” each case personally before deciding to dock a person’s pay.

Mr Miller was asked for a comment.

Education Queensland’s David Miller has been linked to the department’s latest email scandal involving 900 emails to unvaccinated staff.

An Education Department spokesman said the software platform to distribute emails to staff was standard practice and rejected all suggestions the department was inappropriately using email technology to collect data about staff who were the subject of discipline processes.

However, the emails triggered complaints from the Teachers Professional Association of Queensland, which is lodging a case with the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission.

TPAQ secretary Tracy Tully said it was hypocritical for Mr Miller to authorise the disciplinary emails after he had escaped punishment despite a substantiated complaint to the CCC.

She said the emailed letters were a farce and there was no evidence the department had carefully considered each individual’s response.

“It is misleading to say each response was considered individually after the mandate has concluded,” she said.

“They have ‘unsubscribe’ at the bottom of the last page which indicates it was sent as a bulk email which is clear evidence there was no consideration for individuals.

“The email also was unnecessarily fearmongering and said it was reasonable for an Education Department employee on serious misconduct charges to be suspended without pay.

Teachers Professional Association of Queensland secretary Tracy Tully. Picture: Zak Simmonds

“But others in the public service facing misconduct charges have typically been suspended on full pay until the claims were substantiated.”

Education Queensland Deputy Director-General Jeff Hunt was paid $630,000 while suspended during a CCC investigation for misconduct, before he resigned in July.

The department spokesman said the software platform was routinely used by large organisations to ensure emails were correctly sent and received by recipients.

“It informs the department when the email has been opened by the recipient, similar to a ‘read

receipt’,” the spokesman said.

“The ‘unsubscribe’ option at the bottom of the email is simply a standard part of the email template built into the software platform.

“Each of the approximately 900 letters were addressed to the staff member individually, and were tailored and relevant to their individual circumstances.

“The personal circumstances and submissions from each staff member were considered in full by the decision maker prior to making each decision.”