Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (Academic and General Staff) 2000

Part D - Flexible Work Practices

34. Voluntary Reduced Working Year

34.1 The voluntary reduced working year scheme is intended to provide flexibility in employment for staff members with family responsibilities and for staff who wish to extend their leave options for personal reasons. The scheme is to be available to all staff members, except casual and sessional staff.

34.2 The reduced working year scheme is to be a voluntary scheme and general staff can apply through their Head of Administrative Unit, to the Divisional Director (Student and Staff Services) for approval or for academic staff through their Head of Department, to the Dean. Approval will be balanced against operational requirements of the work unit. The University reserves the right to decline any application.

34.3 A staff member may apply to reduce his/her current working year by multiples of two weeks to a maximum of eight weeks in order to correspondingly increase access to additional leave. Their salary will be reduced by a proportionate amount. Staff members working in accordance with this arrangement will receive their reduced annual salary across the 52-week period and will have access to the additional weeks' paid leave per annum accrued over the same period. This additional leave will not attract annual leave loading.

34.4 Staff participation in the scheme is voluntary. No staff member currently employed on a full-time basis shall be required to work according to a reduced working year scheme, or be transferred to another position to enable the reduced working year scheme to be implemented without his/her agreement.

34.5 All annual leave accrued and leave arising through the operation of this clause during the twelve (12) month period for which approval to participate in the scheme has been given, must be taken during that 12 month period. The provisions of clause 37, Annual leave management, shall not apply to this accrued leave.

34.6 Leave accrued by a staff member prior to converting to the scheme will be balanced as at the date immediately prior to conversion and will be available to the staff member at the rate at which it accrued. All leave entitlements which accrue during the term of a staff member's participation in the scheme are paid at the reduced rate, except for periods of long service leave taken during the period of participation in the scheme, which will be paid at the staff member's average fraction of employment over the leave accrual period.

34.7 A staff member shall be entitled to take leave accrued under this scheme at a time determined by the staff member provided at least three months written notice is given to the staff member's supervisor prior to the taking of such leave. In the absence of such written notice, the staff member shall apply to take leave and such application shall be approved on the basis of the operating requirements of the work unit.

34.8 The term of the reduced scheme will be subject to negotiation between the staff member and the University. Variation of the agreed term (i.e. to lessen or lengthen the term) may be initiated by either party, subject to three months notice. However, in exceptional circumstances (e.g. demonstrated financial hardship) and with the agreement of the University a staff member may be allowed to return to full-time employment by giving four weeks notice in writing.

34.9 A staff member with an excess leave balance as defined in clause 37 in relation to annual leave and clause 41 in relation to long service leave, will not be permitted to enter into or remain a participant in the scheme.

34.10 A staff member may elect to continue to contribute superannuation payments at the full-time amount or to reduce payments to reflect the reduction in annual salary, whilst participating in the scheme. The contributions payable by the University shall similarly reflect the full-time or other basis at which the staff member elects to pay as the case may be, subject to the provisions of the relevant superannuation scheme.

35. Fractional Appointment Scheme for Retirement Planning Purposes

35.1 Academic or general staff who wish to reduce their time commitment during the latter part of their careers at the University may wish to apply for the voluntary fractional employment scheme detailed below.

35.2 Participation in the scheme is voluntary.

35.3 Staff in continuing employment are eligible to participate in the scheme when they are within five years or less of being eligible to receive a retirement benefit from their superannuation scheme. Staff need not be full-time (1.0) to be eligible.

35.4 Fractional appointments are to be limited to fractions of not less than 0.3 and not more than 0.8 of full-time.

35.5 Eligible staff members will transfer to a fixed-term appointment with the University paying a subsidy to maintain employer SSAU and TESS contributions (or equivalent State Superannuation provisions) at the rate applicable for the former substantive continuing appointment.

35.6 The staff member will make superannuation staff member contributions at the level appropriate to his/her new fraction of appointment. The University will also provide a subsidy payment sufficient to ensure the retention of superannuation benefits appropriate to the former substantive continuing appointment.

35.7 The workload and pattern would be determined by the Head of Administrative Unit and approved by the Head of Administrative Unit, according to a role and responsibilities, agreed between the Head and the staff member, appropriate to the fraction of full-time appointment.

35.8 Further reductions in fraction, within the specified limits, may be agreed at any time, to a new fraction of not less than 0.3.

35.9 Annual leave, sick leave and long service leave will accrue at the new fractional rate with adjustment of entitlement to provide fully for prior service. The fraction of appointment may be adjusted for a period to facilitate clearing any excess annual and long service leave credits.

35.10 Staff will transfer to a fixed-term fractional contract of no greater than five years in length. Further fixed-term contracts may follow.

35.11 The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, on the recommendation of the Dean or equivalent, may approve a request for early retirement with supplementary payment based on an appropriate scheme being available and any benefit normally being determined against the former substantive appointment with the retirement benefit reduced by supplementary payments made under this scheme.

35.12 Staff who transfer to a fixed term contract in accordance with this provision shall be ineligible for conversion as provided in clause 15 of this Agreement.

35.13 Nothing in this clause shall affect the entitlements of a staff member whose employment was governed by any similar scheme, entered into prior to the certification of this Agreement, except that such staff members shall also be ineligible for conversion as provided in clause 15 of this Agreement.