From the Principal

To the Blue Mountains Grammar School Community,

I want to advise you of an important topic affecting workplaces across Australia, including the Blue Mountains Grammar School community - the introduction of the new "Right to Disconnect" laws.

These laws have been introduced in Australia to address the growing demand on personal time outside of regular work hours, a trend I am sure you have experienced first-hand. As an employer, we recognise the importance of creating a work environment where our staff can excel during the school day and feel comfortable unwinding when they are not at school. This balance is vital for their wellbeing and, in turn, enhances the quality of education they provide.

Maintaining a strong partnership with parents and carers is one of our top priorities, and effective communication between home and school is essential. We understand that it can sometimes be challenging to connect with teachers due to their schedules, and we also appreciate that parents and carers lead busy lives.

Teachers are committed to addressing parent inquiries as promptly as possible and will make every effort to do so. However, as you can imagine, their time is also dedicated to teaching and lesson preparation. Additionally, teachers have responsibilities beyond the classroom, which may prevent them from responding to queries on the same day they are received. We have also agreed with our staff that there is no obligation to respond to inquiries during their personal or family time.

When you email a staff member, please be aware that you can expect to receive a response within 48 hours (2 working days). Please be aware that if an email is sent on a Friday afternoon, it will unlikely be answered over the weekend. For example, if you send an email late on a Friday, you can expect a response by Tuesday afternoon of the following week. While responses may be quicker in most cases, this 48-hour window ensures that our staff can manage their time effectively without the pressure to be "always on."

We implemented this because the school expects our staff to refrain from monitoring work emails during their personal time, in line with the new laws. As stated, we aim to respond to you as quickly as possible, so typically, two working days (48 hours) is ample time. Part-time staff may require additional time to reply.

As an employer, we support Fair Work Australia's move. We hope that by protecting some personal time, we will allow them to return to work refreshed and ready to contribute meaningfully. Of course, in the case of an emergency, we will be as responsive as we can. 

I appreciate your understanding.

Warm regards,

Steven Coote 

Principal