• Section 1 - Purpose
• Section 2 - Application
• Section 3 - Roles and Responsibilities
• Section 4 - Principles
• Section 5 - Entitlements
• Section 6 - Exceptions to Policy

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) The University is committed, in accordance with the enterprise agreements, wherever possible, to retaining the services of, and offering ongoing opportunities, to current ongoing staff members.

(2) A staff member whose position is declared surplus to University requirements will be offered the option to participate in a redeployment program at the time of being formally notified that the position they occupy is redundant.

Section 2 - Application

(3) For the purposes of this Policy a "staff member" shall mean a staff member:

1. appointed on an on-going basis (full-time or part-time); and
2. who has been formally notified that the position they occupy has been identified and declared as surplus to the University's requirements, therefore, is redundant; and
3. who has elected to participate in the redeployment process.

Section 3 - Roles and Responsibilities

Section 4 - Principles

(4) In accordance with the provisions of the relevant enterprise agreement, the process of redeployment will commence immediately upon notification from the staff member, in writing, that they seek to be redeployed.

(5) The following principles will apply where a staff member has elected to participate in the redeployment process:

1. The redeployment search period will normally be three months for professional staff and six months for academic staff, effective immediately upon receipt of notification from the staff member that they seek to be redeployed.
2. The staff member is expected to participate fully and cooperatively in the redeployment process.
3. The University will make all reasonable efforts to redeploy a staff member to a suitable vacant position and will provide appropriate reasonable training or retraining to assist redeployment.
4. A suitable position will normally mean an ongoing position at the same classification level of the staff member and for which the staff member has the skills and qualifications to undertake, or potential to undertake with reasonable training/retraining. This does not preclude an offer of redeployment to a position at a lower classification level, in which case, the staff member's salary will be maintained at their substantive salary level for 12 months before reverting to the salary level of the redeployed position. Upon reverting to the lower classification level, appointment will be at the highest increment step of the lower classified position.
5. Where more than one staff member seeking redeployment may be suitable for an available position, appointment to the position will be made through a closed merit process confined to the relevant staff members.
6. A staff member will normally be redeployed to a suitable vacant ongoing position. However, all vacant fixed-term positions of greater than 12 months duration will be reviewed by the Human Resources Department prior to advertisement to assess the potential suitability of a participating staff member.
7. Where a suitable, ongoing position is not available a staff member can be appointed to a vacant fixed-term position during the redeployment search period. A staff member appointed to a fixed-term position during the redeployment search period will remain on the redeployment program for the remainder of the redeployment search period. During this remaining time the University will continue to seek a suitable ongoing position for redeployment. If at the expiry of the search period the staff member has not been appointed to a suitable ongoing position for redeployment, the staff member's employment will cease at the conclusion of the fixed-term appointment. The staff member will be entitled to payment in accordance with the involuntary redundancy provisions of the relevant enterprise agreement, less the salary paid during the redeployment search period and the fixed-term appointment period.
8. Where a suitable ongoing position is identified for redeployment, and a staff member is successful in being selected for that position, the staff member will receive a formal offer of appointment, which they may accept or reject. A staff member shall not unreasonably refuse to accept redeployment to a suitable position, and must participate in required training/retraining following the identification of a suitable position.
9. Where a staff member rejects a formal offer of redeployment to a suitable ongoing position, and this rejection is determined to be unreasonable by the Vice-President (People) and Chief People Officer, the staff member's employment will cease, and entitlements paid in accordance with the involuntary redundancy provisions of the relevant enterprise agreement less the salary paid during the redeployment search period.
10. An offer of appointment to a suitable ongoing position may be made for a trial period subject to satisfactory performance of the duties of the position.  A trial period will be for up to three months commencing from the date of redeployment into the position. By mutual agreement of the Supervisor and the staff member a trial period may be extended, once only, for a further period not exceeding three months. Where training/retraining is required it must form part of a trial period.
11. A trial period will not extend a redeployment search period. A staff member appointed on a trial basis to a position during a redeployment search period will remain on the redeployment program for the reminder of the search period. During this time the University will continue to seek a suitable position for redeployment.
12. If at the expiry of the redeployment search period a trial period remains in operation, the trial continues. Where a staff member is not suitable for the position at the end of the trial period, the staff member's employment will cease, and entitlements paid in accordance with the involuntary redundancy provisions of the relevant enterprise agreement less the salary paid during the redeployment search period and the trial period.
13. Where a suitable position cannot be located during the redeployment search period, the staff member's employment will cease at the conclusion of the redeployment search period, and entitlements will be paid in accordance with the involuntary redundancy provisions of the relevant enterprise agreement less the salary paid during the redeployment search period.
14. At any stage during the redeployment search period, a staff member may request, in writing, a redundancy. If this request is accepted by the University, the staff member will be entitled to payment in accordance with the involuntary redundancy provisions of the relevant enterprise agreement, less the salary paid during the redeployment search period until the date of termination of employment (which must be a date no later than when the redeployment search period would have concluded).
15. The relinquishing organisational unit of the staff member to be redeployed will be responsible for any costs associated with:
    1. training/retraining; and
    2. the salary of the staff member for the redeployment search period; and
    3. the difference between the staff member's base salary of the relinquished position and the base salary of the redeployed position for 12 months, where the staff member is redeployed at a lower salary classification (inclusive of any fixed-term/trial period at a lower salary classification).

Section 5 - Entitlements

(6) During the redeployment and search period, staff members will be entitled to receive those benefits with respect to time off to seek other employment as provided by the relevant enterprise agreement. Staff members will also continue to accrue normal leave entitlements.

(7) Where the staff member is appointed to an ongoing position, the staff member will not be entitled to any redundancy entitlement.

Section 6 - Exceptions to Policy

(8) 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 Human Resources.