B/6.4 Long service leave

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6.4.1 Application
6.4.2 Long service leave entitlement
6.4.3 Taking of long service leave
6.4.4 Deferment of long service leave
6.4.5 Sickness while on long service leave
6.4.6 Maximum accrual
6.4.7 Entitlement upon cessation of employment
6.4.8 Recognition of prior service for the purposes of long service leave entitlements
Related Documents
Modification History

6.4.1 Application

This policy applies to academic and professional staff.

Provisions relating to long service leave for senior staff are detailed in the QUT Employee Collective Agreement (Senior Staff).

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6.4.2 Long service leave entitlement

(a) Full-time staff

A full-time staff member who has completed 10 years of continuous service will be entitled to paid long service leave at the rate of 6.5 working days for each year of continuous service and a proportionate amount for part of an incomplete year.

(b) Part-time staff

Part-time staff members accrue long service leave entitlements on a proportional basis.

(c) Casual professional staff and sessional academic staff

Casual professional staff and sessional academic staff are entitled to long service leave after 10 years continuous service completed on or after 21 June 1990. Any entitlement to long service leave for service prior to 21 June 1990 for casual / sessional staff will be considered on a case by case basis by the Human Resources Director.

Long service leave entitlement for eligible casual / sessional staff is calculated as follows:

For sessional academic staff "actual units" means the total hours paid. The hourly rate is defined as the average of the hourly rate paid to the staff member during the twelve months service prior to taking long service leave.

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6.4.3 Taking of long service leave

Staff may take long service leave wholly or in part, in minimum lots of one week, or a lesser period of a minimum of one day in exceptional circumstances, as approved by the relevant authorising officer (see Appendix 3 Schedule of Authorities and Delegations).

A professional staff member must apply for long service leave at least three months prior to the date the leave is to begin unless otherwise agreed by the authorising officer.

Academic staff are entitled to take long service leave at a time of their choosing, providing they provide the authorising officer with at least six months notice prior to the date the leave is to begin. Less than six months notice may be given by mutual agreement between the staff member and the authorising officer.

During their employment, staff (excluding casual and sessional staff) may access pro-rata long service leave after seven years of continuous service in exceptional circumstances.  Exceptional circumstances will be at the discretion of the Vice-Chancellor and may include a medical crisis or emergencies relating to family circumstances.

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6.4.4 Deferment of long service leave

A period of approved long service leave may be deferred in special circumstances, in emergencies or in the case of misconduct or serious misconduct, in which case the authorising officer will give details of the circumstances to the staff member and authorise reimbursement to the staff member for any expenses reasonably incurred as a result of the deferral.

The period of deferral will not exceed three months unless mutually agreed between the authorising officer and the staff member.

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6.4.5 Sickness while on long service leave

A staff member who becomes ill for three or more consecutive working days during long service leave may claim sick leave instead of long service leave by submitting a medical certificate for the period of the illness.

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6.4.6 Maximum accrual

1. The maximum long service leave entitlement a staff member can accumulate is 80 working days before a staff member is required to take leave.
2. Upon accumulation of 70 working days, a supervisor will meet with the staff member to plan and agree on a suitable time to take long service leave.
3. Upon accumulation of in excess of 80 working days, the staff member will be given written notice that up to one third of that leave must be taken at a time convenient to the University.
   
   The authorising officer will give at least 12 months written notice of the nominated date on which the leave will commence (where otherwise agreed with the staff member, this notice may be waived). Further
   
   
1. at least one third of the staff member's long service leave accrued entitlement must be taken
2. the staff member will not be required to take a further period of long service leave for two years after the end of the period of leave taken.
   
   
4. When a staff member fails to take the required leave as specified in (c) above, the leave will be deemed to have commenced from the nominated date given by the authorising officer.
5. A staff member will not be required to take long service leave within 24 months of an intended date of retirement where the staff member submits written notice of the intended date of retirement to the Human Resources Director.

A staff member who has a leave balance in excess of 80 working days may elect for all or part of the excess leave above 80 days to be taken at double pay.  The staff member’s leave balance will be reduced by the number of days equivalent to the amount paid. The staff member will meet with their supervisor to plan and agree on a suitable time to take this leave.

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6.4.7 Entitlement upon cessation of employment

1. Upon cessation of employment, a staff member who has completed 10 years of continuous service will be paid long service leave entitlements accrued as at the date of cessation.
   
   
2. A staff member will be paid pro-rata long service leave based on completed years of service if their employment ceases as a result of
   
   
   • voluntary or involuntary redundancy
   • voluntary early retirement
   • retirement due to ill health, as supported by appropriate medical documentation.

   The calculation of this sum will be based on the following

   1. for ongoing and fixed-term staff - the staff member's period of service and salary as at the date of cessation of employment.
      
      
   2. for ongoing and fixed-term staff  who have worked different hours during the period of service - the actual equivalent full-time years of service and the full-time rate of salary at the date of cessation of employment.
      
      For example, where a staff member has served for 10 years during which time the staff member was employed for eight years on a full-time basis and two years on a 50% part-time basis - the actual service is equivalent to nine years full-time service, therefore, the staff member would be paid in lieu of service at 0.9 of the full-time salary.
      
      
   3. for casual professional staff and sessional academic staff, or for staff who have performed some casual work as part of their period of employment, the long service leave entitlement due for the period of casual / sessional employment will be calculated in accordance with B/6.4.2(c).
      
      
3. Upon cessation of employment in circumstances as specified in the Industrial Relations Act 1999, a staff member who has completed at least seven years of continuous service will be paid pro-rata long service leave accrued as at the date of cessation.

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6.4.8 Recognition of prior service for the purposes of long service leave entitlements

Full-time or part-time service from prior related employment will be recognised for staff appointed on an ongoing or fixed-term basis for purposes of long service leave credits. This applies to staff who commenced employment at the University within three calendar months of leaving the previous employer. Service from the last related employer only will be recognised. Related employment will be determined by the Human Resources Director or nominee and will include employment at another Australian university or public sector agency.

Application for recognition of prior service

An application for recognition of prior service must be made in writing and should be submitted to Human Resources as soon as possible, and no later than 12 months, after commencing employment with QUT (see B/4.1.3). A person who is no longer employed by QUT is not eligible to make a retrospective application for recognition of prior service.

Professional staff with less than 10 years prior service

For professional staff who have served less than 10 years of recognised prior service:

Where a staff member has received no payment by the previous employer for accrued long service leave or no leave has been taken, the University will grant up to five years credit for the purpose of calculating long service leave entitlements.

For example, for a staff member who has served six years service with the previous employer, five years of that service will contribute to the long service leave entitlement and then the staff member can take long service leave after serving five years at QUT. In this example, after serving five years service at QUT, the staff member will be entitled to take long service leave accumulated for a total 10 years service, that is, 65 days.

Academic staff with less than 10 years of prior service

For academic staff who have served less than 10 years of recognised prior service:

Where a staff member has received no payment by their previous employer for accrued long service leave or no leave has been taken, all relevant service will be recognised by the University for the purpose of calculating long service leave entitlements.

For example, a staff member who has served six years service at the previous employer, can take long service leave after serving four years at QUT. In this example, the staff member will be entitled to take long service leave accumulated for a total 10 years service, that is, 65 days.

Staff with more than ten years prior service with the previous employer

For new ongoing and fixed-term staff members, where there is an accrued long service leave liability with a previous employer, QUT does not accept responsibility for payment of this liability.

Where a new ongoing or fixed-term staff member has received payment by a previous employer for accrued long service leave or long service leave has been taken (ie. the staff member has more than 10 years prior service with that employer), the University will grant the staff member access to pro-rata long service leave after the staff member has been employed at QUT for a minimum of three years (excluding periods of leave without pay).

For example, a full-time staff member who has served more than 10 years service at a previous employer, can take long service leave after serving three years at QUT. In this example, the staff member will be entitled to take accumulated long service leave for a total of three years service, that is, 19.5 days for a full-time staff member.

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Related Documents

MOPP B/4.1 Recruitment and advertising
MOPP B/6.1 Staff leave
MOPP Appendix 3 – Schedule of Authorities and Delegations
QUT Enterprise Agreement (Academic Staff)
QUT Enterprise Agreement (Professional Staff)
QUT Employee Collective Agreement (Senior Staff) 2009-2012

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Modification History

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