This policy document is currently under review to reflect The Australian National University Enterprise Agreement 2023-2026, which came into effect on 5 December 2023. Until this has been reviewed, the new Enterprise Agreement will take precedence over the provisions outlined in this document.

Policy: Individual Contractors

Purpose

To inform staff of the University’s policy on engaging individual contractors to provide services to the University.

Overview

This document provides the guiding principles associated with the engagement of external contractors employed to provide services by the University.

Scope

This policy applies across the University.

Policy Statement

Introduction

The legal requirements associated with engaging contractors are significantly different to the legal requirements arising from engaging employees. It is important that prior to entering into a relationship with an individual contractor, the ANU confirms the status of the proposed relationship, and identifies and manages the legal issues and risks arising.
It is the University’s preference to minimise dealings with individual contractors (i.e. individual service providers paid through accounts payable), as entering into a contract for services with an individual can generate significant risk exposures for both the individual and the University.
Individual contractors often do not have their own insurances (i.e. public liability and professional indemnity insurances), and are not personally covered by the University’s insurance program.
Depending on the specific circumstances, the individual may be viewed by the relevant government authorities as an employee for taxation and/or superannuation and/or workers compensation purposes, irrespective of the fact that the University has decided to treat them as a contractor.

Principles

The ANU only engages an individual in a contract for services when there is no viable alternative provider/method of engagement.
It is the responsibility of the delegate to:
1. confirm the status of the individual as a contractor (as opposed to an employee); and
2. ensure that, where required by the procedure, a written contract is entered into prior to the individual performing any work for the University.

Delegations relevant to this policy

000220: Finance Delegation: Purchase goods and services (including the signing of related purchasing contracts) within budget limit in one transaction or series of transactions (excluding GST).

Information	Printable version (PDF)
Title	Individual contractors
Document Type	Policy
Document Number	ANUP_000419
Version
Purpose	To inform staff of the University's stance on engaging individual contractors to provide services to the University
Audience	Staff
Category	Administrative
Topic/ SubTopic	Finance

Effective Date	25 Aug 2022
Next Review Date	30 Jun 2024

Responsible Officer:	Chief Financial Officer
Approved By:	Vice-Chancellor
Contact Area	Finance and Business Services
Authority:
Delegations	0
Information generated and received by ANU staff in the course of conducting business on behalf of ANU is a record and should be captured by an authorised recordkeeping system. To learn more about University records and recordkeeping practice at ANU, see ANU recordkeeping and Policy: Records and archives management.

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