ANNUAL LEAVE POLICY

Approved on

29^th June 2009

by

Director Human Resources

Ver. No.

 HR-001-0001A

Last Amended

by

Ver. No.

Keywords

 Annual, Leave, Recreation, Entitlement, Accrual, Holiday

Responsibilities & Related Materials / Policies

Purpose

To document the policy/principles and procedures for Annual Leave entitlements.

Murdoch University Academic Staff Collective Workplace Agreement 2006
Clause 16. Annual Leave

16.1  Entitlement
Employees other than casual Employees are entitled to annual recreation leave at the rate of four (4) weeks each calendar year credited in advance, initially pro rata from the date of appointment and thereafter on 1 January each year.

16.2  Taking Annual Recreation Leave
Annual recreation leave will normally be taken during the year in which the entitlement falls or before the commencement of first semester in the following year.
In March of each year Employees shall foreshadow their annual leave intentions to their academic supervisor.
Annual recreation leave will normally be taken in periods other than the scheduled teaching times of the Employee concerned.
Any arrangement, which does not involve clearing leave in accordance with this clause, mush have written approval of the Divisional Head.  Any application to carry leave forward must also indicate when it is proposed that the leave is to be taken.

16.3 Records
Employees must submit leave forms to cover their absence on annual leave.
The University shall keep records of all entitlements, leave taken and approvals granted for excess leave to be carried forward.

Murdoch University General Staff Collective Workplace Agreement 2006
Clause 8. Annual Leave

A full time Employee is entitled to four (4) weeks’ paid annual leave on full pay for each twelve (12) months’ continuous services (as defined).  Shift workers are entitled to five (5) weeks’ annual leave for each twelve (12) months’ continuous service.  Unused annual leave will accumulate from year to year.
i    An  Employee’s entitlement to annual leave will be available one (1) year in advance from
    1 January ear year.
Ii   Annual leave may be taken at a time or times agreed between the Employee and the
     Administrative Head.  Provided that the Administrative Head may require an Employee to
     take any accrued annual leave in excess of forty (40) days.
An Employee who is first appointed after 1 January in any year shall, for the rest of that year, be entitled to pro rata annual leave.
The Employee is entitled to an additional day’s leave for every Holiday which falls on a day on which the Employee is on annual leave and which would otherwise have been an ordinary working day for the Employee.

POLICY  

Murdoch University is committed to ensuring that Employees regularly take Annual Leave as a means to providing them with adequate periods of rest and relaxation.

 POLICY and PROCEDURES

1

Time of taking leave    

The University will seek to ensure leave is taken at a mutually convenient time
and in accordance with the relevant Collective Agreement (varies from Academic to General staff).  An Employee applying for annual leave is to provide reasonable notice to the University of the desired period of such leave.  It is the preference of the University for staff to take leave regularly.

2

Booking Annual Leave
Applications for annual leave should be submitted online via MyHR.
Employees who do not have access to this facility should continue to use a paper based form of application.

3

Leave in advance of entitlement
Upon termination of employment, a staff member who has taken annual leave in advance of their entitlement will be required to repay to the University, by way of deduction from salary or otherwise, the amount of any pay received for annual leave taken in advance to which that staff member has not subsequently earned an entitlement.

4

Management of annual leave
It is the responsibility of both the Employee and their Supervisor to ensure annual leave accrual is in accordance with current employment arrangements and acquittal and recording is managed in a responsible manner.   It is the responsibility of the supervisor to review an application to ensure accuracy and consistency with University policy and at all times ensure adequate records are maintained.  A Supervisor should also ensure Annual Leave is recorded on the Universities Human Resource Information system.

5

Annual leave in conjunction with other absences
With the approval of the supervisor, annual leave may be taken in conjunction with other types of leave. 

6

Excessive Annual Leave  
Excessive leave balances will be reported to respective Faculty Deans/Office Heads to ensure appropriate follow up action is taken.  Administrative Heads will have access to reports showing leave balances where excessive.  The Faculty Dean/Office Head, or other person delegated for this purpose will notify those Employees concerned and their supervisors of excess annual leave accruals in writing.