30. VOLUNTARY REDUCED WORKING YEAR

30.1 A voluntary reduced working year arrangement is available upon application and approval to all continuing and fixed-term staff who wish to extend their leave options for personal and/or family responsibility reasons. A staff member may apply to reduce his/her current working year by multiples of two weeks up to eight weeks, with salary proportionately reduced to fund a corresponding increase in additional paid leave over a 52-week period. This additional leave will not attract annual leave loading and must be taken during each 12-month period of the reduced working year arrangement. Such leave will be taken by application and be subject to prior approval, except where the staff member gives at least three months’ written notice.

30.2 Operation of a voluntary reduced working year arrangement is subject to the following conditions:

     (a) Staff with any excess annual or long service leave balance under clauses 36 or 38 are not eligible to participate or remain in the scheme.

     (b) The term of the arrangement will be negotiated for a period of at least 12 months but may be varied by either the University or the staff member, subject to three months’ notice on either side or shorter written notice by the staff member where agreed by the University.

     (c) Leave accrued during the term of the scheme will be paid at the reduced rate provided that:

• leave accrued prior to the scheme will be available at the rate at which it accrued;
• long service leave will be paid at the average service fraction over the leave accrual period;
• staff may choose to have employer and employee superannuation contributions paid on the full or reduced working year salary.

     (d) Notwithstanding clause 36, all annual leave accrued during each 12-month accrual period in the term of the reduced working year arrangement must be taken during that accrual period.