This digital record replaces the handwritten staff direct-work record used at the service.

Direct-work records: Regulation 151 of the Education and Care Services National Regulations requires NERPSA to keep each educator’s name and the hours they work directly with children. Consistent with ACECQA guidance, substantive periods away from children, including breaks, programming and preparation, are recorded separately so direct-work hours, educator-to-child ratios under regulations 122–123 and adequate supervision under section 165 of the National Law can be demonstrated accurately.

Regulation 152 also requires applicable records of early childhood teacher access or attendance. Records relating to staff members must be kept confidential, stored securely and retained until the end of three years after the staff member last provided education and care for the service under regulations 181 and 183(2)(f).

VECTEA 2026: Under clause 4.1, the agreement commences seven days after it is approved by the Fair Work Commission. Clause 36.2 requires rostered daily commencement and finishing times, including the time of any breaks, to be advised in writing.

Meal breaks – clause 37: An employee is entitled to a meal break from teaching or contact with children of at least 30 minutes. It must ordinarily commence no earlier than 2.5 hours and no later than 5.5 hours after rostered work begins.

A genuine agreement to delay the meal break to no later than six hours after rostered work begins must be documented, signed and limited to no more than one kindergarten year. A meal break may be included in ordinary hours as paid non-teaching or non-contact time, including where the employee must remain on the premises, or it may be duty-free and unpaid, as determined by NERPSA in consultation with the employee.

Paid rest breaks – clause 38: An employee working four hours or more on an engagement is entitled to one uninterrupted paid 10-minute rest break. An employee working seven hours or more is entitled to two uninterrupted paid 10-minute rest breaks.

For VECTEA purposes, paid rest breaks count as time worked and as teaching/contact time. Unless otherwise agreed, the employee remains on the service premises. The break is still recorded separately here so the service has an accurate record of when the employee was not directly working with children for Regulation 151, ratio and supervision purposes.

Combined breaks: By agreement with the employee, one paid rest break may be combined with the meal break to provide one 40-minute break. Where two paid rest breaks apply, they may be combined into one 20-minute rest break in addition to the meal break, or both may be combined with the meal break, for example as one 50-minute break.

Delayed or interrupted breaks: If unforeseen circumstances delay a meal break beyond the time it was due, clause 37.5 provides for payment at time and a half until the meal break is taken.

If an employee must work during a meal break to meet regulatory requirements, that time counts as face-to-face teaching duties or contact time. Equivalent non-teaching or non-contact time must be provided as soon as practicable at a mutually agreed time. If it cannot be provided within the agreed period, clause 37.9 provides for additional payment at the employee’s hourly rate plus 25%.

If an employer-caused interruption prevents an uninterrupted rest break, clause 38.5 provides for payment at time and a half until an uninterrupted break is taken.

This is not a payroll timesheet or an Additional Hours Form. Recording time here does not request, approve or claim payment for additional hours. Any missed, delayed or interrupted break must also be reported to the Service Leader or NERPSA so the applicable entitlement can be addressed.