31. Pre-retirement

31.1 Staff in full-time or fractional-time continuing employment may elect to apply to reduce their time commitment under a pre-retirement contract to a fraction of not less than 0.3 and not more than 0.8 of full-time, when they are within five years or less of being eligible to receive a retirement benefit from their superannuation scheme.

31.2 Eligible staff members will transfer to a fixed-term pre-retirement contract, with the University paying a subsidy to maintain employer UniSuper contributions (or equivalent State Superannuation provisions) at the rate applicable for the former substantive continuing appointment.

31.3 The staff member will make superannuation staff member contributions at the level appropriate to his/her new fraction of appointment. The University will also provide a subsidy payment sufficient to ensure the retention of superannuation benefits appropriate to the former substantive continuing appointment.

31.4 The workload and pattern of work for a staff member under a pre-retirement contract will be subject to determination and approval by the Head of Administrative Unit according to the role and responsibilities agreed between the Head and the staff member, appropriate to the fraction of full-time appointment.

31.5 Further reductions in fraction, within the specified limits, may be agreed at any time, to a new fraction of not less than 0.3.

31.6 Annual leave, personal leave and long service leave under a pre-retirement contract will accrue at the new fractional rate with adjustment of entitlement to provide fully for prior service. The fraction of appointment may be adjusted for a period to facilitate clearing any excess annual and long service leave credits.

31.7 Staff will transfer to a fixed-term fractional pre-retirement contract of no greater than five years in length. Further fixed-term contracts may follow.

31.8 The Vice-Chancellor, on the recommendation of the Dean or equivalent, may approve a request for early retirement with supplementary payment based on an appropriate scheme being available and any benefit normally being determined against the former substantive appointment with the retirement benefit reduced by supplementary payments made under this scheme.

31.9 Staff who transfer to a pre-retirement contract in accordance with this clause will be ineligible for conversion as provided in clause 18 of this Agreement.

31.10 Nothing in this clause willaffect the entitlements of a staff member whose employment was governed by any similar scheme, entered into prior to 25 May 2001, except that such staff members will also be ineligible for conversion as provided in clause 18 of this Agreement.