Voluntary Bonding Scheme
Terms and Conditions
for Radiation Therapists
2013
Contents
Voluntary Bonding Scheme Terms and Conditions for Radiation Therapists 2013
Terms and Conditions
for Radiation Therapists
2013
1.Introduction
Education Prerequisites
Definition of a Graduate
2.Registration of Interest
3.Scheme Confirmation
4.Participation
Eligibility Criteria
Changesto Hard-to-StaffCommunities,Specialtiesand Professions
CommencementDate
Minimum Employment Requirements
Breaks and Pausesin theTermof Service
ParentalLeave
WorkingasaLocum
5.Payment
6.Privacy Statement
Contents
1.Introduction ...... 3
Education Prerequisites ...... ....... ....... 3
Definition of a Graduate ...... ....... ....... 4
2.Registration of Interest ...... 4
3.Scheme Confirmation ...... 4
4.Participation ...... 5
Eligibility Criteria ...... ....... 5
Changes to Hard-to-Staff Communities, Specialties and Professions ...... 5
Commencement Date ...... ....... ....... 5
Minimum Employment Requirements ...... ....... 6
Breaks or Pauses in the Term of Service...... . 6
Parental Leave...... ....... ....... ... 6
Working as a Locum ...... ....... . 6
5.Payments ...... 7
6.Privacy Statement ...... 8
1.Introduction
1.1. ParticipationontheVoluntaryBondingScheme(the Scheme) involves four phases:RegistrationofInterest,ConfirmationontheScheme, ParticipationandPayment.
1.2. In order tobeeligible for payment,youmusthave hadyourRegistration of Interestfor theSchemeconfirmedandhavemetthe Scheme’sTerms and ConditionsduringtheParticipationphase.
1.3. The Schemeisavoluntaryprocess andyou,nottheMinistryofHealth (theMinistry), are responsiblefor anyemploymentdecisions youmay makebasedonyour intendedparticipationinthe Scheme,including decisionsaboutworkinginhard-to-staffcommunitiesandspecialties.
1.4. Youwill notbe eligiblefor anypaymentfrom the Schemeifyou do not completeatleastthreefullyears (36months)ontheScheme,in accordancewith theseTerms andConditions.
1.5. You are responsiblefor notifyingtheMinistryofHealth(or itsnominated agent) of anychangeof address, emailaddress or other contactdetails.
1.6. Tobeeligiblefor theScheme,youmust:
- bea New Zealand citizen or permanentresident atthe timeyou register your interest in joining the Scheme
- havecompletedyour final year of study in2012 for your base qualification for your profession at an accreditedNew Zealand Training Institution(seeclauses 1.7 – 1.10below)
- beregistered, or be eligible to be registered with the Medical Radiation Technologists Board.
- beworking, or intending towork,inthe profession for whichyouhavetrained, for three to fiveyears
- comply with all other terms andconditions ofthe Scheme (see Participation clauses below).
Education Prerequisites
1.7. Youmust:
- havecompleted,in2012,therequirementsofa trainingprogrammefor Radiation Therapy from thelist ofaccreditedinstitutionsbelow;and
- be eligible to be registered with the Medical Radiation Technologists Board.
1.8. The accredited training institution for Radiation Therapy is:
The University of Otago, Wellington.
1.9. New Zealandcitizens whogained their base professional qualifications from an overseas training institution in2012and whomeettheregistration requirements ofthe relevant Authority may be considered for the Scheme ona case-by-casebasis, ifthey meet all other eligibility criteria and other Terms and Conditions of the Scheme.
Definition of a Graduate
1.10. Eligiblegraduates are thosewhocompletedtheir studies in 2012 and can provide evidence of having done so, irrespective of whentheir graduationceremony occurred.
2.Registration of Interest
2.1. Inorder to be aparticipant on the Scheme,you mustsuccessfully register your interest and beconfirmedon the Scheme.
2.2. Toregister your interestyoumustcompletetheonlineRegistration of Interestapplicationform.This involvesyou providinginformation toshow thatyoumeet,orintend tomeet,theeligibilitycriteriaoftheScheme.
2.3. A registrationofinterestis notanapplicationfor a placeontheScheme.
Thepurpose oftheRegistrationofInterest process is toobtaincontact detailsfor potential places on the Scheme.See belowfor informationonconfirmationontothe Scheme.
3.Scheme Confirmation
3.1. Therearelimited places ontheScheme.Successfullyregisteringyour interestfor the Scheme does notguaranteeyouwill beconfirmedonthe Scheme.
3.2. A separateprocesstoformallyconfirmyou on theSchemewill followyour RegistrationofInterest.Youwill be advisedinwritingwhether your RegistrationofInterestis confirmed.
4.Participation
4.1. Onceyouare confirmed ontheScheme,yourparticipationis influenced by your CommencementDate on the Scheme,Minimum EmploymentRequirements, MovementBetweenHard-to-StaffCommunities and/orSpecialties,Breaks andPauses,ParentalLeave andany work you may undertake Workingasa Locum.Inorder to be eligible toreceive paymentfromtheSchemeyoumustcomplywiththe requirementsoftheseterms andconditions.
Eligibility Criteria
RadiationTherapists
4.2. To be eligible for theScheme,you mustwork as a radiation therapist inany New Zealandcommunityfor the nextthree to fiveyears.
Changesto Hard-to-StaffCommunities,Specialtiesand Professions
4.3. It is acknowledged that a number of other communities, specialties and professions may face difficulty in recruiting and retaining graduates now and in the future. The Ministry reserves the right to extend the eligibility criteria to other communities, specialties and/or professions as part of its periodic review of the Scheme.
CommencementDate
4.4. Your time on the Scheme is calculated from your Commencement Date ofemployment.
4.5. If you were already working as a radiation therapist on or before 1 January 2013, your Commencement Date is 1 January2013. Time employed in an eligible position prior to this date does not contribute towards the bonding period.
4.6. If you began (or begin) working as a radiation therapist, on after 1 January 2013, your Commencement Date is the date on which your employment began.
4.7. If you have indicated in your registration of interest that you intend to gain employment as a radiation therapist, your Commencement Date is the date you begin employment as a radiation therapist.
4.8. If you have not commenced employment in accordance with these requirements by 30 June 2014, you will no longer be eligible for the Scheme.
Minimum Employment Requirements
4.9. To be eligible for the Scheme radiation therapists must be employed on a minimum 0.6 FTE basis.
4.10. You will not be eligible for payment from the Scheme if you undertake substantive or continuous locum work (see clauses 4.18 – 4.21).
4.11. You are responsible for verifying that the FTE requirements have been met and will be required to make a declaration and provide a certificate of service from your employer(s) before each bonding payment is made (see Payment section below).
Breaks and Pausesin theTermof Service
4.12. You can take up to 14 weeks’ absence in a 12 month period from your position in a hard-to-staff community and/or specialty without affecting your eligibility for bonding payments. Such an absence is known as a “break”.
4.13. A “pause” is any time beyond the 14 weeks’ break allowance that you spend away from the hard-to-staff community and/or specialty. Time taken as pauses must be added to the term necessary to complete the bond, and no more than ten weeks may be added during the course of one year. This means that no more than 50 weeks can be added to the five year bonding term.
4.14. Breaks and pauses are to include any leave from employment, with or without pay, including normal employment leave entitlements, such as annual leave.
ParentalLeave
4.15. You may take up to 52 weeks’ parental leave, in accordance with the
Parental Leave and Employment Act 1987 and remain on the Scheme.
4.16. Time spent on parental leave does not accrue towards your bonding
period and must be made up. The bonding period will automatically restart as soon as you return to work in an eligible position.
4.17. Time spent on parental leave is separate to the break and pause provisions (see clauses 4.12 – 4.14above).
WorkingasaLocum
4.18. If you undertake substantive or continuous locum work you will not be eligible for payment from the Scheme.
4.19. The Ministry defines “substantive” locum work or agency nurse work as being a period of six weeks or more, but does not include:
- undertaking“additionalduties”foryour employer
4.20. For the purposes of the Scheme, a locum is considered to be someone who provides theservicesin placeof another practitioner registered within thesamescope of practice during that health professional’s normal working hours.
4.21.Whenyouapplyfor paymentsfromtheScheme,youwill be askedto confirm thatyouhavenotengagedin“substantive” locum work.
5.Payment
5.1. You are responsible for initiating the first claim for payment after three full years (36 months) have been completed on the Scheme in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.
5.2. If you stay on the Scheme for a fourth and fifth year, you are responsible for initiating the second and third claims for payment.
5.3. You must apply for payment within nine months of becoming eligible to apply.
5.4. You will only be eligible for payments if:
- you have beenemployedfor threefullyears in accordancewith theseTerms andConditions
- youhavemettheminimum fulltimeequivalent(FTE) employment requirements(seeclauses 4.9– 4.11)
- you havecompliedwith therules governingbreaks andpauses, Parental Leave, andlocum workfor theScheme(see clauses4.12–4.21).
5.5. No paymentswillbemadeuntil youhave:
- Appliedfor paymentinaccordancewiththeapplicationforpayment process, includingsubmittingadeclarationconfirmingthatyouhave mettheterms andconditionsofthe Scheme.
- Providedacertificate ofservicefromyour employer(s)confirming that your employmenthascompliedwiththeTerms andConditions ofthe Schemeduringthebondingperiod.
5.6. Further informationwillberequiredfromyouinordertoconfirmthatyou havemetthe Terms andConditionsoftheSchemeandtoenable paymenttobemade(e.g. proofofidentity). Therequiredinformationisoutlinedintheapplicationfor paymentdocumentation.
5.7. Ifyou haveastudentloan,the fullScheme paymentwill bemade against your studentloan. Ifthe balance ofyour studentloanis lessthanthe Schemepayment,youwillneedtocontactInlandRevenueoncethe paymenthasbeenmadetoenablethe differencetobepaidtoyou.
5.8. Ifyou donothaveastudentloan,the Schemepaymentwill be paid directlytoyou.
5.9. Paymentfor eachperiodof12months completedonthe Scheme(after tax):
RadiationTherapists $3,375net.
5.10.Ifyou areanindependentcontractor,a gross payment will bemadeand thenetamountyoureceivewill dependuponyour personal taxsituation.
5.11.Scheme payments aresubjecttoincometaxandmayaffectyour tax situation,for example,inrelationto provisional tax,Workingfor Families, childsupportpayments andKiwiSaver.
5.12.TheMinistryrecommendsthatyouseek independentadviceonhowthe payment will affect your taxposition.Forfurther taxinformation,contact InlandRevenue.
6.Privacy Statement
6.1. All oftheinformationyou provideintheRegistration ofInterest form will be treated aspersonalinformationandwill be used,storedanddisclosed in accordancewith theprovisions ofthe PrivacyAct 1993.
6.2. Bysubmitting theRegistration ofInterest form,you areauthorisingthe MinistryofHealthtocollect personal informationaboutyou.This informationwill bestoredandusedbytheMinistryfor purposes associatedwith theScheme,inaccordancewith the provisions ofthe PrivacyAct1993.
6.3. Theinformationwill bekeptconfidential andwillnot bedisclosed toany personexceptinconnectionwith thepurposesfor whichit is obtained,or byoperationoflaw.
6.4. You have therighttocontacttheMinistryofHealthtorequest access to andcorrection of anypersonal informationheld about you.
6.5. Wesuggestyou printacopyofthis statementfor your records.