Leave

Annual Recreation Leave (including annual leave loading)

Absence on Account of Illness, Injury or Caring

Parental Leave (including Return to Work Bonus)

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

General Staff Agreement 2009

Academic Staff Agreement 2009

ELICOS Teachers Agreement 2005

Policy

All Staff

Employees may apply to enter in the Deferred Salary Scheme, in one of three ways:

1. 4 years service paid at 80% of salary followed by 1 year’s leave paid at 80% of salary
2. 4.5 years service paid at 90% of salary followed by 6 month’s leave paid at 90% of salary
3. 2 years service paid at 80% of salary followed by 6 month’s leave paid at 80% of salary

Deferred leave must be taken immediately after the completion of the service period.

Deferred leave will not constitute a break in service and will count as service for all purposes except for salary increments.

Employees may not work for the University when taking their deferred leave.

Employees are responsible for informing themselves of all implications of the Deferred Salary Scheme before entering into it.

Please Note:

As purchased leave effects staff superannuation final benefits, please contact the UWA superannuation officer in Human Resources to discuss such effect. Staff members who wish to continue superannuation contributions based on 100% of their applicable rate of pay will be responsible for paying the difference between:

• the employer and employee proportional contribution; and
• the employer and employee contribution which would be payable on 100% of applicable rate of pay.

Employees who withdraw (resign) from the Deferred Salary Scheme will be paid:

• a one (1) off lump sum at the percentage (%) of salary foregone during the period already worked
• a one (1) off lump sum superannuation payment based on the salary forgone. The payment will be paid to the employee’s superannuation contribution scheme account and will be paid at either 17% or 9%, whichever is applicable

Secondments (where the outside organisation pays), leave without pay, sick leave without pay (greater than 3 months) and parental leave are non-participatory periods and will delay the commencement of the leave by the length of the non-participatory period.

Employees will be paid their normal salary during non-participatory periods.

Sick leave without pay (less than or equal to 3 months), sick leave with pay, long service leave, annual recreation leave and approved leave while in receipt of Worker’s Compensation are all participatory periods.

Annual Recreation Leave should be cleared annually during the term of the Deferred Salary Scheme and extra leave period.

Elicos Staff Only

An employee may apply to work within the parameters of the deferred salary scheme. In order to ensure the smooth running of CELT programmes, a maximum of two teaching staff may be absent as a result of participation in this scheme at any one time.

Procedures

• Download Deferred Salary Scheme Application and Agreement form from web
• Complete all sections of the leave form
• Pass form to Approved Delegate for approval
• Send form to Human Resources, M350 once approved

Leave Without Pay

Policy

Jury Service

Leave

Leave with Defence Force Reserves

Leave for Emergency Services

Policy

Leave for International Sporting Events

English Language Training Leave

Veteran's Leave

Policy

Ceremonial/Cultural leave is for legitimate ceremonial or cultural purposes to meet the employees’ customs, traditional law and participation in ceremonial or cultural activities.

Indigenous Australian employees are entitled to an additional two days leave under the Indigenous Australian Employment policy.

General Staff Agreement 2009

ELICOS Teachers Agreement 2005

Child Care Employees' Agreement 2005

Policy

This policy is for the purposes of covering short periods of leave which may be in relation to an emergency or on compassionate grounds.

Employees are entitled to 3 days leave per calendar year which is not carried over to the next year.

Employees can only take 2 consecutive days at any one time.

The minimum period of leave which may be applied for is 1 hour.

Employees on a fixed term contract of 12 months or more are eligible for the full entitlement.

Employees on a fixed term contract less than 12 months are eligible for pro rata leave.

Part-timel employees are eligible for leave on a pro rata basis proportional to their fraction:

The University defines immediate family and household member as:

• a spouse (including a former spouse, a defacto spouse, a former defacto spouse and current or former same sex partner)
• a child or an adult child (including an adopted child, a step child or an ex nuptial child), parent, parent in law, foster parent, grandparent, grandchild or sibling of the employee
• a relative who lives with the employee in the same household

while endorsing an inclusive definition of family and recognising a wide range of relationships and structures which may include one or more of the following: extended family, marriage, friendship, adoption and dependency.

Employees accessing leave to provide care or support to another person whose care is their responsibility may be for a period of three consecutive days and may be approved in conjunction with other leave accessible for family responsibility purposes.

This policy does not apply to casuals.

Short Leave

Policy

Short Leave is for urgent private business that occurs without notice. Personal appointments, where possible, should be arranged outside the required hours of duty or be accommodated by flexible working hours.

Short leave can, for example, be used for an emergency at home such as storm/flood damage.

Short leave is not to be used for planned arrangements such as moving house.

Where an employee works flexible working hours and

• is unable to accumulate flexi leave credits because of work area convenience, or
• is unable to accumulate sufficient flexi leave credits in the current settlement period she/he may be granted short leave subject to the approval of the Approved Delegate

Employees on standard hours may be granted short leave subject to the prior approval of the Approved Delegate.

Short Leave should only be used in genuine circumstances and should not be cleared toward the end of the year.

Leave granted in accordance with this policy for the purpose of providing care or support to another person whose care is their responsibility may be approved in conjunction with other leave accessible for family responsibility purposes.

Compassionate/Bereavement Leave

An additional entitlement to Compassionate leave has been introduced through the Work Choices legislation which overrides the provisions in the Agreements.

Policy

Compassionate/bereavement leave is for leave at the time of death of a family or household member or on other compassionate grounds such as providing support and care to another person, whose care is the responsibility of the employee, with a personal illness, or injury that poses a serious threat to life or dies.

Paid compassionate/bereavement leave is available for 2 days on each permissible occasion.

Employees can take 2 consecutive days of compassionate/bereavement leave which is incorporated in the three day entitlement.

Subsequent compassionate/bereavement leave in a calendar year can be accessed on each permissible occasion in addition to the 3 day entitlement.

Permissible occasion is when an immediate family or household member contracts a life threatening illness, or sustains a life threatening injury, or dies and in such a situation leave could be utilised as follows:

• if a family member has a heart attack which led to the family members death, an employee may access a total of four days paid leave as they were two separate incidents. Contracting a life threatening illness and subsequently dying are two permissible occasions, however, the first two days entitlement must be taken during the illness.

Procedures

• Download leave form from web or enter leave via ESS
• Complete all sections of the form
• Pass form to Delegated Authority for approval
• Send form to Human Resource Services (M350) when approved if not submitted via ESS

Policy

Study Leave (General Staff)

Members of staff are expected to attend work unless there are genuine unavoidable circumstances which prevent them from doing so. In the event of strike action affecting public transport, members of staff should make appropriate alternative arrangements for getting to and from the University.

If attendance is not possible, absences should be formally covered by an application for annual leave or leave without pay. Consideration may be given to the granting of short leave where such leave is applicable.

Study and Special Purpose Leave for Senior General Staff

General Staff Agreement 2009
Elicos Teachers Agreement 2005

Policy

Employees may purchase up to 6 weeks additional leave (“purchased leave”) by taking a reduced salary spread over 52 weeks (“purchased leave period”).

A purchased leave agreement is for a period of 12 months and preferably from the beginning of the calendar year.

If the staff member wishes to continue the purchased leave agreement for a further period of purchased leave, a new application must be submitted before the end of the 12 month period.

Work areas will assess each application for purchased leave on its merits. The work area must take into account the personal circumstances of the staff member, together with the operational requirements of the work area, when considering each application.

All applications for purchased leave are subject to the approval of the work area.

Please Note:

Purchased leave is considered as service in all circumstances.

All purchased leave must be taken during the purchased leave period and prior to any recreation leave booking. Where an employee has been unable to take purchased leave, the staff member's salary shall be adjusted at the expiry of the purchased leave period.

All forms of leave taken during the purchased leave period will be paid at the reduced salary.

Staff members who work overtime during the purchased leave period shall be paid at 100% of their applicable rate of pay.

Staff members who withdraw (resign) before the end of the purchased leave period will either:-

• have the pro-rata amount of unused purchased leave reimbursed as a lump sum payment; or
• be required to repay any overdrawn purchased leave.

Procedures

Application for Purchased Leave

• Download Purchased Leave form from web
• Complete all sections of the form
• Pass form to Delegated Authority for approval
• Send form to Human Resource Services (M350) for processing

Booking of Purchased Leave

• Bookings may be made through Employee Self Services (ESS)

Withdrawal (resignation)

• Submit a written request to your Delegated Authority for approval
• Send request to Human Resource Services (M350) for processing.

Academic Staff Agreement 2009

Policy

Employees are entitled to 3 days leave per calendar year which is not carried over to the next year.

Employees can only take 2 consecutive days at any one time.

Part-time (fractional) employees are eligible for leave on a pro rata basis proportional to their fraction.

Employees on a fixed term contract of 12 months or more are eligible for the full entitlement.

Employees on a fixed term contract less than 12 months are eligible for pro rata leave.

This policy does not apply to casuals.

Compassionate/Bereavement Leave

An additional entitlement to Compassionate leave has been introduced through Work Choices legislation which overrides the provisions in the Agreements.

Policy

Compassionate/bereavement leave is for leave at the time of death of a family or household member or on other compassionate grounds such as providing support and care to another person, whose care is the responsibility of the employee, with a personal illness, or injury that poses a serious threat to life.

Paid compassionate/bereavement leave is available for 2 days each permissible occasion.

Employees can take 2 consecutive days of compassionate/bereavement leave which is incorporated in the 3 day entitlement.

Subsequent compassionate/bereavement leave in a calendar year can be accessed on each permissible occasion.

Permissible occasion is when an immediate family or household member contracts a life threatening illness, or sustains a life threatening injury, or dies and in such a situation leave could be utilised as follows:

• if a family member has a heart attack which leads to death an employee can access a total of four days paid leave as they were two separate incidents. Contracting a life threatening illness and subsequently dying are two permissible occasions, however, the first two days entitlement must be taken during the illness.

Procedures

• Download leave form from web or enter leave via ESS
• Complete all sections of the form
• Pass form to Delegated Authority for approval
• Send form to Human Resource Services (M350) when approved if not submitted via ESS

Sabbatical Leave

Related Information

Traveller's Checklist (Financial Services)