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Monash University > HR > Workplace-policy > Workforce-management > Leave

Remuneration and Benefits - Types of Leave (Special Leave)

Title of Parent Policy

Preamble

The University may elect to provide special leave either paid or unpaid to staff members for absences from work in situations where other leave types are not available.

As the University has a range of generous leave entitlements - see the Remuneration and Benefits Procedure – Types of Leave (All) - special leave will only be granted in exceptional circumstances.

This procedure outlines how to apply for special leave and directs staff to relevant clauses in the University’s Enterprise Agreements.

This procedure applies to all fixed-term and continuing professional, academic and trades and services staff. This procedure does not apply to casual, sessional, honorary or unpaid adjunct appointees.

Definitions

ESS: an online Employee Self Service system which provides staff members with easy and private access to personal and current employment information held by the University.

Faculty or Divisional Cluster: refers to a cluster of Faculties and/or administrative Divisions that is serviced by a particular HR Service Hub.

Head of unit: head of an academic or organisational work unit, for example Head of School, Head of Department or where applicable, a person acting as his or her nominee.

HR Business Partner: is a member of Monash HR who operates as a strategic partner responsible for providing a range of human resources services for an assigned Faculty or administrative Division. HR Business Partners are located within a HR Service Hub.

HR Service Hub: is the centre for human resources services and activities within a Faculty or Divisional Cluster.

Relevant Enterprise Agreement: means the Enterprise Agreement that applies to a particular staff member. The Monash University Enterprise Agreement (Academic and Professional Staff) 2009 will apply to academic and professional staff employed by the University. Depending on the services provided by a trades and services staff member employed by the University, the Monash University Enterprise Agreement (Trades and Services Staff - Building and Metal Trades Staff) 2009 or the Monash University Enterprise Agreement (Trades and Services Staff - Catering and Retail, Cleaning and Caretaking, and Miscellaneous Services Staff) 2005 will apply.

Staff member: for the purposes of this procedure, means a person employed by the University on a continuing or fixed-term basis.

Supervisor: the person who is responsible for the day-to-day supervision of the staff member.

How to apply for special paid leave

Staff seeking to apply for special paid leave must:

discuss the reasons for applying for special paid leave with their supervisor;
provide a written justification outlining the reasons for the request;
complete an Application for Special Leave; and
submit the written justification and completed Application for Special Leave to their supervisor.

The supervisor is required to consider the request for special paid leave. If the request is to be approved, the supervisor is then to:

endorse the Application for Special Leave and written justification;
submit the request to the Dean or Divisional Director to consider for endorsement; and, if endorsed by the Dean or Divisional Director
forward the endorsed documentation to the relevant HR Business Partner to obtain University-level approval.

How to apply for special unpaid leave

Staff seeking to apply for special unpaid leave are required to:

discuss the reasons for special unpaid leave with their supervisor;
using ESS, apply to exhaust all relevant paid leave entitlements prior to accessing special unpaid leave;
complete an Application for Special Leave and
submit the completed Application for Special Leave to their supervisor.

The supervisor is required to consider the request for special unpaid leave. If it is to be endorsed, the supervisor is then to:

approve the staff member’s accompanying annual leave and long service leave ESS requests (if applicable);
endorse the Application for Special Leave;
submit the request to the Dean or Divisional Director to consider for endorsement; and, if endorsed by the Dean or Divisional Director
forward the endorsed leave form to the HR Business Partner to obtain University-level approval.

University-level approval of requests for special paid or unpaid leave

All requests for special paid or unpaid leave must be approved by the appropriate delegated University authority.

Once an application for special paid or unpaid leave has been endorsed by the Dean or Divisional Director, the relevant HR Business Partner will submit the application to the following delegated authorities for approval as follows.

Period of leave	Approver
Special paid leave up to 2 weeks	Executive Director, Monash HR
Special paid leave over two weeks	Provost (for academic staff) Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice-President (for professional and trades and services staff)
Special unpaid leave up to six months or requests for an additional period of unpaid parental leave of up to six months	Executive Director, Monash HR*
Special unpaid leave greater than six months or requests for an additional period of unpaid parental leave (including consecutive requests) that amount to greater than six months.	Provost (for academic staff) Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice-President (for professional and trades and services staff)

*Requests for special unpaid leave up to two weeks can be approved by the Lead HR Business Partner on behalf of the Executive Director, Monash HR.

Responsibilities

Individual Staff Member

The individual staff member is responsible for:

providing details of the reasons for the request for special leave to his/her supervisor;
using ESS to exhaust all relevant paid leave entitlements, prior to accessing special unpaid leave;
completing the relevant application for leave form and any other required documentation;
submitting the application documentation to his/her supervisor; and
making alternative arrangements for salary deductions during periods of special unpaid leave.

Supervisors

Supervisors are responsible for:

considering and, if recommended for approval, endorsing the Application for Special Leave form;
submitting the relevant application for leave form for the endorsement of the Dean or Divisional Director; and if endorsed by the Dean or Divisional Director
submitting the endorsed documentation to the HR Business Partner.

Dean or Divisional Director

The Dean or Divisional Director is responsible for endorsing any applications for special paid or unpaid leave for endorsement and, if endorsed, to return the endorsed application to the staff member’s supervisor for submission to the HR Business Partner.

Provost

The Provost is responsible for approving any requests by academic staff for:

special paid leave over two weeks; and/or
special unpaid leave greater than six months.

Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice-President

The Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice-President is responsible for approving any requests by professional or trades and services staff for:

special paid leave over two weeks; and/or
special unpaid leave greater than six months.

Monash HR

HR Business Partner

The HR Business Partner is responsible for;

ensuring that staff have exhausted their relevant paid leave entitlements prior to accessing periods of special unpaid leave;
submitting any special paid or unpaid leave application for University-level approval by the Provost, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice-President or the Executive Director, Monash HR, as applicable; and
forwarding any approved Application for Special Leave forms and written justification (if provided) to HR Operations, Monash HR for processing.

HR Operations

HR Operations, Monash HR is responsible for processing the period of approved special paid or unpaid leave in SAP.

Workplace Relations

Workplace Relations is responsible for:

maintaining and updating this procedure;
ensuring compliance of these procedures with the University’s workplace agreements; and
providing advice to the HR Business Partners and HR Operations on the application of this procedure.

Executive Director, Monash HR

The Executive Director, Monash HR, is responsible for approving any requests for special paid or unpaid leave not otherwise submitted to the Provost or the Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice-President for University-level approval.

Related Procedures

Remuneration and Benefits Procedure – Types of Leave (All Leave)

Related Enterprise Agreement Clauses

Monash University Enterprise Agreement (Academic and Professional Staff) 2009

Monash University Enterprise Agreement (Trades and Services Staff – Building and Metal Trades Staff) 2009

Monash University Enterprise Agreement (Trades and Services Staff – Catering and Retail, Cleaning and Caretaking, and Miscellaneous Services Staff) 2005