B/6.9 Purchased leave scheme
Policy Owner | Vice-President (People) and Chief People Officer |
Approval Date | 18/04/2023 |
Approval Authority | Vice-Chancellor and President |
Date of Next Review | 30/04/2028 |
6.9.1 Purpose
6.9.2 Application
6.9.3 Roles and responsibilities
6.9.4 Approval
6.9.5 Entitlement
6.9.6 Conditions
6.9.7 Exceptions to policy
6.9.8 Definitions
Related Documents
Modification History
6.9.1 Purpose
The purchased leave 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.
6.9.2 Application
This policy applies to all staff (excluding casual professional and sessional academic staff).
For academic staff, the workload undertaken across the year will be at the appropriate proportion of that of a staff member in an equivalent area who is working for the full 52 weeks.
6.9.3 Roles and responsibilities
Position |
Responsibility
|
|---|---|
Staff member |
|
Supervisor |
|
| Human Resources Department |
|
6.9.4 Approval
Staff members must apply to their supervisor for agreement to purchase leave. Staff participation in the scheme is optional and at the request of the staff member. Approval to participate in the scheme will depend on balancing operational requirements with increased flexibility options and choice for staff. Confirmation of appointment and all other performance decisions will be based on the proportion of work appropriate to the position.
6.9.5 Entitlement
Under the purchased leave scheme, within a 12 month period, a staff member is entitled to purchase up to eight weeks purchased leave in addition to the normal four weeks recreation leave, with a deduction from salary for the agreement period. The additional leave (up to eight weeks) provided to the staff member under the purchased leave scheme will not attract leave loading.
6.9.6 Conditions
Participationin the purchased leave scheme is for a 12 month period. The staff member is required to apply for purchased leave annually, usually at the beginning of the year, if they wish to purchase leave for the 12 month period. To make an application to participate in the purchased leave scheme, the staff member must not have an excess recreation leave or long service leave balance (B/6.2.4 and B/6.4.7).
A staff member's participation in the purchased leave scheme will be recorded in writing and a copy of this record will be maintained by the Human Resources Department.
All purchased leave must be taken during the agreement period and cannot be accrued to the following year. Any deduction made for purchased leave that is not utilised in the agreement period will be reimbursed.
The University may recover any under-deducted amount from salary at the end of the agreed period or the staff member’s employment, whichever comes first.
All leave entitlements which accrue during the agreement period are paid at the staff member's normal rate.
It is generally expected that the staff member must plan the period/s of leave to be taken for the agreement period in advance and submit to the supervisor for approval prior to the agreement period. Where a staff member is, for reasons beyond their control, unable to take the full leave within the agreed period/s, the staff member will not forfeit the accrued leave but seek to have the leave deferred to be taken at a later stage during the agreement period. If the supervisor and the staff member agree that such accrued leave cannot be deferred, the leave will be reimbursed.
The staff member may request to take the purchased leave in minimum blocks of one week during the agreement period subject to the approval of the supervisor.
All forms of leave will continue to be accrued by a staff member when accessing purchased leave.
During the agreement period, the staff member’s superannuation contributions paid by the University will be based on the purchased leave salary rate. If a staff member wishes to maintain superannuation contributions at a notional full-time rate they will be responsible for making the necessary arrangements, through the University's Superannuation Officer (Human Resources Department), and for maintaining both the notional full-time rate for the staff member's contribution and the University's contribution.
At the conclusion of the agreement period, the staff member’s salary will revert to the ordinary salary rate for all salary and leave purposes.
It is the staff member’s responsibility to seek independent financial advice to determine how purchased leave may impact any salary packaging arrangement the staff member may have.
6.9.7 Exceptions to policy
The Vice-President (People) and Chief People Officer is authorised to approve variations to this policy in exceptional circumstances. Any such variation will be recorded by the Human Resources Department.
6.9.8 Definitions
Agreement period means the fixed period of 12 months which the purchased leave agreement relates to.
Related Documents
MOPP
B/6.2 Recreation leave
Register of Authorities and Delegations (QUT staff access only)
QUT Enterprise Agreement (Academic Staff) (QUT staff access only)
QUT Enterprise Agreement (Professional Staff) (QUT staff access only)
Senior staff employment arrangements (QUT staff access only)
Modification History
|
Date |
Sections |
Source |
Details |
| 18.04.23 | All | Vice-President (People) and Chief People Officer | Periodic review - updated to policy template and revised to reflect change to the industrial instruments - effective 31.03.23 |
| 17.11.14 | B/6.9.2 | Manager, Policy and Workplace Relations | Editorial amendments to reflect the termination of the senior staff agreement |
21.12.10 |
All |
Human Resources Department |
Periodic review - Minor editorial changes only |
|
17.11.05 |
All |
Vice-Chancellor |
New policy |