Long Service Leave
General Staff Agreement 2009
Academic Staff Agreement 2009
ELICOS Teachers Agreement 2005
Child Care Employees' Agreement 2005
Principle Statement
The University of Western Australia encourages employees to establish a balance between their personal and working lives. To assist employees achieve life balance, long service leave should be taken when due.
Policy – all employees (except casual employees)
Employees are entitled to 13 weeks long service leave on full pay on completion of the first period of ten years continuous service.
Employees must take accrued long service leave at mutually agreed times within 5 years of the leave becoming due.
Employees may apply for long service leave at:
- double the period of entitlement on half pay
- half the period of entitlement on double pay; or
- any portion of the entitlement on full pay, or double the period on half pay or half the period on double pay
Employees who had variations in hours, excluding overtime hours, (applicable to general staff only) or whose hours during the accrual period were less than their ordinary working hours at the commencement of long service leave, may elect to take a lesser period of long service leave calculated on the average full time equivalent (fte).
Employees on long service leave during the end of year closedown period, or a public holiday/s, will have the day/s treated as part of the long service leave and extra days in lieu will not be granted.
Employees who resign or whose appointment is terminated for any reason will be paid any accrued long service leave (excluding pro-rata) as at the termination date.
Employees will have service at other public universities and public institutions, where the institutions have reciprocal arrangements with the University, recognised.
Related Policy
Recognition of Prior Service
General Staff (except casual employees)
Employees are entitled to an additional 13 weeks long service leave on full pay on completion of subsequent periods of seven years continuous service.
Employees who commenced prior to 19 April 1994 will maintain the entitlement to 13 weeks (3 months) long service leave on full pay on the completion of 7 years continuous service.
Employees may access pro-rata leave entitlement after 7 years in the first qualifying period and each 3½ years of second and subsequent entitlements.
Employees who have accessed pro-rata leave are not required on resignation to repay any monies representing the pro-rata leave.
Employees who do not clear long service leave within 5 years of the leave becoming due will not accrue a further entitlement unless Human Resources are advised that exceptional circumstances apply.
Accrual of long service leave will resume once at least 50% of the accrual has been cleared.
In exceptional circumstances where operational requirements have prevented an employee taking long service leave within 5 years the Vice-Chancellor may approve an extension of up to 2 years.
If an employee has not been able to access long service leave within 5 years of accrual, the employee or the University may provide not less than 6 months notice for taking their long service leave.
Employees who have a full long service leave entitlement or have completed twelve months or greater continuous service will receive a lump sum payment for pro-rata long service leave in the following instances:
- retirement at or over 55 years of age
- retirement on the grounds of ill health
- death with the payment being made to an estate or other nominated person approved by the Vice-Chancellor
Employees who have a full long service leave entitlement or have completed three years or greater continuous service will receive a lump sum payment for pro-rata long service leave in the following instance:
- retired for any other cause apart from resignation
Long service leave is calculated at the rate of salary of an employee at the date of retirement, resignation or death and no payment will exceed the equivalent of twelve months salary.
‘Continuous service’ means any period an employee is absent on full or part pay but does not include:
- any period exceeding 2 weeks leave without pay
- any service of an employee who resigns or is dismissed, other than service prior to resignation or dismissal date when prior service has actually entitled the employee to long service leave
- any period of service between the 5th anniversary date of the employees accrued entitlement, or a deferred commencing date approved by the Vice-Chancellor and the date on which the employee clears the entitlement
- any service by an employee who has been granted a deferment because of impending retirement between a deferred commencing date and the date the employee retires or clears a full entitlement of long service leave if the employee does not retire on the nominated date
- any period of long service leave paid out
Academic Staff (except casual employees)
Employees are entitled to an additional 13 weeks long service leave on full pay on completion of subsequent periods of ten years continuous service.
Long service leave is calculated at the rate of salary of an employee at the date of commencing leave.
More than a 13 week entitlement can not be accrued without the approval of the Vice-Chancellor. Employees with an entitlement greater than 13 weeks or who will accrue such an entitlement by 29 May 2007 will retain the greater entitlement.
Employees who provide at least six months notice of intention to take long service leave should have the leave approved except in exceptional circumstances where arrangements cannot reasonably be put in place by the requested time.
Employees unable to take leave on this basis will be deemed to have approval to defer taking long service leave. Alternative arrangements for clearing leave should be agreed to within a month of advice that the leave was denied and should be at the convenience of the employee unless impracticable.
Employees who provide less than six months notice of intention to take long service leave will have the leave application considered subject to the operational requirements of the work area. Approval of leave will not be unreasonably withheld.
Employees on approved unpaid parental leave are not required to provide six months notice.
Employees who have accrued an entitlement of more than 13 weeks may be given written notice by the Vice-Chancellor to take leave in excess of the 13 weeks, at a time convenient to the needs of the work area provided that:
- written notice is at least six months prior to the date on which leave must commence
- employees are not required to take long service leave within 24 months of the intended date of retirement
- the minimum period required will be six weeks or greater
Transitional arrangements for clearing accrued leave apply to all employees employed at 18 January 2005 and who had an existing accrued long service leave entitlement or entitlements as that date.
Employees with one accrued entitlement at 18 January 2005 are required to clear that entitlement within five years of 1 January 2005 and will continue to accrue leave within that five year period.
Employees with two or more accrued entitlements must clear one entitlement within five years and the remainder of entitlements within 10 years of 1 January 2005.
Employees who do not clear a pre 1 January 2005 accrued entitlement within the above timeframe will cease to accrue long service leave.
Employees who have a full long service leave entitlement or have completed twelve months or greater continuous service will receive a lump sum payment for pro-rata long service leave in the following instances:
- retirement at or over 55 years of age
- death
Employees who have a full long service leave entitlement or have completed five years or greater continuous service will receive a lump sum payment for pro-rata long service leave in the following instance:
- termination by the University for any reason other than serious misconduct
Employees who have provided written notice of their retirement are not required to take long service leave within 24 months of retirement. Deferment of taking long service leave beyond 5 years can be approved by the Vice-Chancellor in exceptional circumstances.
Long service leave is calculated on the rate of salary of an employee at the time of commencing leave.
‘Continuous service’ means any period an employee is absent on paid leave, including study leave and any periods of leave without pay granted to take up an assignment with one of the international schemes for developing countries (UNESCO and WHO) to which Australia is a party or for any other purpose for which the University has given its approval but does not include:
- any period exceeding 2 weeks leave without pay except as provided above
- any period of service between the 5th anniversary date of the employees accrued entitlement, or a deferred commencing date approved by the Vice-Chancellor and the date on which the employee clears the entitlement
- any service by an employee who has been granted a deferment because of impending retirement between a deferred commencing date and the date the employee retires or clears a full entitlement of long service leave if the employee does not retire on the nominated date
- any period of long service leave paid out
Procedures
- Enter leave via ESS or download leave form from web
- Complete all sections of the form
- Pass form to Approved Delegate for approval
- Send form to Human Resources, M350 once approved if not submitted via ESS
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