Personal leave
General provisions
Personal leave credits are allocated on commencement of employment and then annually.Leave without pay and breaks in employment may affect an employee’s personal leave entitlements.Personal leave can be taken due to personal illness or to care for another person.
Employees employed part-time have access to the personal leave provisions on a pro-rata basis according to the time fraction worked.For example, a person who has a time fraction of 0.5 would be able to access half the entitlements that a full time person can access.In terms of hours, if a full time person can access 38 hours, then the employee working 0.5 would be able to access 19 hours.
Where an employee does not provide a required document for an absence(s) adjacent to a public holiday(s) as required, the following applies:
- for personal leave (illness/injury):
- where the absence occurs on working days both preceding and following the public holiday, unpaid personal leave will be granted for the entire period of absence, including the public holiday;
- where the absence is on a working day or consecutive working days preceding or following a public holiday (but not both), unpaid personal leave will be granted for working days absent and the person is entitled to be paid for the public holiday.
- for personalleave (carer’s);
- the employee’s request should not be approved and the employee should be advised to apply for another type of leave to cover the period for which they were absent.
Personal leave is expressed in hours, and is allocated on the employee’s employment anniversary date, taking into account the time fraction(s) worked by the employee during the previous year.
Applications for leave are made using Employee Self Service (ESS).Where an employee is unable to use or access ESS, or wishes to amend/delete leave already entered on eduPay, an application will need to be made in writing and processed manually at the school (see below).
Where paid personal leave entitlements have been exhausted, supporting documentation must still be provided in accordance with policy.
In the first year of employment, an employee who exhausts his or her personal leave credits may access personal leave credits that would later accrue, up to a maximum of fifteen days (for a full time employee).These leave credits are accessed through ESS in the normal manner and will show as a negative in their entitlement page.
Processing applications for personal leave (illness/injury) and personal leave (carer’s)
Step 1Applications for personal leave must be in writing and must include the dates of the leave.Where necessary, supporting documentation in the form of a required document must be provided.
Step 2Ensure that:
- where the necessary supporting documentation is not provided, advise the employee that if this is not provided within five working days, leave will be processed as leave without a certificate.
- the dates for the leave correspond to the dates on the documentation, where provided.If not, clarify with the employee.
- any absence (including personal leave (illness/injury) without pay when credits are exhausted)is processed in accordance with Department policy on the provision of supporting documentation.
An employeeabsent on personal leave (illness/injury) must be placed on Sick Leave – No Credits (596) on eduPay wherehe/she has taken more than five days (38 hours) in aggregate in that calendaryearof personal leave (illness/injury) and/or personal leave (carer’s) without a required document.
Step 3Check the employee’s leave balance on eduPay to confirm that he/she has sufficient leave entitlements.
Step 4UpdateeduPay, using the appropriate leave code.For information about processing leave applications, refer to the eduPay User Guide available on eduGate: Absences.
Where the employee is absent onpersonalleave (illness/injury) without pay or personal leave on half pay, the employee should be informed that it may be advisable for him/her to contact the following to make appropriate arrangements whilst on leave:
- the salary packaging administrator (SmartSalary) if they have salary/remuneration packaging arrangements in place;
- their superannuation fund(s), in particular Emergency Services and State Super if he/she is a member of the New or Revised superannuation funds and the leave is for an extended period; and
- any other organisations which are currently in receipt of payroll deductions.
Step 5Place documentation in the employee’s personnel file.
Converting approved leave to personal leave (illness\injury)
Where an employee becomes ill or is injured whilst on annual leave (Education Support Class employees only) or long service leave, they may request to convert that leave to personal leave.
Step 1A request to change the leave to personal leave must be made in writing.Supporting documentation must be provided in accordance with normal policy.
Step 2Use eduPay to determine if the employee has sufficient personal leave credits to change long service leave and/or annual leave to personal leave and inform the employee if there is insufficient credits.
Step 3Update eduPayaccordingly, using the appropriate leave code.
Step 4Place documentation in the employee’s personnel file.
Early resumption from personal leave
Step 1Where a employee wishes to resume duty earlier than the date originally specified, he/she must provide supporting documentation which includes the amended return date from leave and a statement from their medical practitioner that they are fit to return to duty from that date.
Step 2Where approved, update eduPayaccordingly.
Step 3Place documentation on the employee’s personnel file.
Allocation of personalleaveentitlements
An employee’s next personal leave allocation (leave accrual) is affected by any time fraction changes since theirlast allocation.
An employee’s personal leave allocation date(previously service date)is delayed by any break(s) in employment or period(s) of leave without pay (LWOP) which affects service.Accrual of personal leave will cease after the first month of LWOP (often referred to as the grace period).
Breaks in employment and/or periods of LWOP areautomatically taken into account so no action is requiredon the payroll to delay the allocation of personal leave entitlements to the employee.
Where it appears that an employee’s accumulated personal leave credits are incorrect, the school can request a review of their credits.
Personal Leave Administration ProceduresPage 1of 3