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 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 Long service leave entitlement upon resignation
6.4.8 Recognition of previous 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 Certified 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 ten (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 a part of an incomplete year.

(b) Part-time staff

Part-time staff 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 ten (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 leave

Staff may take long service leave wholly or in part, in minimum lots of one (1) week, or less than one (1) week in exceptional circumstances (with the approval of the head of school for academic staff, or the Human Resources Director on the advice of the supervisor for professional staff).

A professional staff member must apply for long service leave at least three (3) months prior to the date the leave is to begin unless otherwise agreed by the supervisor.

Academic staff are entitled to take long service leave at a time of their choosing, providing they provide the head of school with at least six (6) months notice prior to the date the leave is to begin. Less than six (6) months notice may be given by mutual agreement between the staff member and the head of school.

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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 (3) 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

Staff who become ill for three (3) 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 eighty (80) working days before a staff member is required to take leave.
2. The staff member will not be required to take long service leave within twenty-four (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.
3. Upon accumulation of seventy (70) working days, a supervisor will meet with the staff member to plan and agree on a suitable time to take long service leave.
4. Upon accumulation of in excess of eighty (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 twelve (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:
   • at least one third of the staff member's long service leave accrued entitlement must be taken; and
• the staff member will not be required to take a further period of long service leave for two (2) years after the end of the period of leave taken;
  
5. When a staff member fails to take the required leave as specified in (d) above, the leave will be deemed to have commenced from the nominated date given by the authorising officer.

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6.4.7 Long service leave entitlement upon resignation

1. A staff member will be paid pro-rata long service leave based on completed years of service if they resign or are terminated through voluntary or involuntary redundancy, voluntary early retirement, or retirement due to ill health. For professional staff, payment in lieu of accumulation of long service leave will be made to a maximum period of twenty-six (26) weeks.
2. The calculation of this sum will be based on the following;
   1. for staff (excluding casual professional staff and sessional academic staff) - the staff member's period of service and salary as at the date on which the resignation or termination of service became effective.
      
      
   2. for staff (excluding casual professional staff and sessional academic 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 ceasing employment.
      
      For example, where a staff member has served for ten (10) years during which time the staff member was employed for eight (8) years on a full-time basis and two (2) years on a 50% part-time basis - the actual service is equivalent to nine (9) 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).

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

Previous service from related employment will be recognised for staff appointed on an on-going or fixed-term basis for purposes of long service leave credits. This applies to staff who have commenced appointment at the University within three (3) calendar months of leaving the previous employer. Related employment will be determined by the Human Resources Director and will include employment at another Australian university or public sector agency.

Professional staff

For professional staff who have served less than ten (10) years prior service:

Where a staff member has received no payment by a previous employer for accrued long service leave or no leave has been taken, the University will grant up to five (5) years credit for the purpose of calculating long service leave entitlements.

For example, for a staff member who has served six (6) years service at a previous employer, five (5) 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 (5) years at QUT. In this example, after serving five (5) years service at QUT, the staff member will be entitled to take long service leave accumulated for a total ten (10) years service, that is, sixty-five (65) days.

Academic staff

For Academic staff who have served less than ten (10) years prior service:

Where a staff member has received no payment by a 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 (6) years service at a previous employer, can take long service leave after serving four (4) years at QUT. In this example, the staff member will be entitled to take long service leave accumulated for a total ten (10) years service, that is, sixty-five (65) days.

Staff with more than ten years prior service

For all staff (academic and professional) who have served more than ten (10) years prior service:

Where a staff member has received payment by a previous employer for accrued long service leave or long service leave has been taken, the University will grant pro-rata long service leave after the staff member has been employed at the University (QUT) for a minimum of three (3) years.

For example, a staff member who has served more than ten (10) years service at a previous employer, can take long service leave after serving three (3) years at QUT. In this example, the staff member will be entitled to take accumulated long service leave for a total of three (3) years service, that is, nineteen and one half (19.5) days.

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Related Documents

MOPP B/6.1 Staff leave

MOPP Appendix 3 – Schedule of Authorities and Delegations

QUT Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (Academic Staff)

QUT Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (Professional Staff)

QUT Certified Agreement (Senior Staff)

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Modification History

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