36. ANNUAL LEAVE

36.1 A staff member is entitled to 20 paid days of annual leave for each completed year of service.

36.2 A staff member who is a 7-day shift worker, and who is rostered to work at least 10 Sundays in the accrual period, will be entitled to an additional 5 paid days of annual leave.

36.3 Annual leave may be taken as a single continuous period at a time agreed between the staff member and the relevant supervisor, and up to 20 days may be granted in advance of the date on which the entitlement accrues.  If agreement cannot be reached on the time of taking of leave, the staff member may appeal in accordance with the following:

     (a) For an academic staff member, the staff member may appeal to the Dean for final resolution.  If the Dean is the staff member’s supervisor, the staff member may appeal to the Executive Director, Monash HR; and

     (b) For a professional staff member, the staff member may appeal to the Divisional Director/Dean for final resolution.  If the Divisional Director/Dean is the staff member’s supervisor, the staff member may appeal to the Executive Director, Monash HR.  Where the Executive Director, Monash HR is the staff member’s supervisor, the staff member may then appeal to the Chief Operating Officer.  

36.4 Where a staff member ceases employment with the University payment in lieu of annual leave credits accrued up to the date of termination of employment will be paid on termination, provided that where termination of employment is due to the staff member’s death such payment will be made to the staff member’s estate.  Payment in lieu will be for all annual leave accrued for each completed year of service plus a pro rata amount for the current year of service calculated on a daily basis.

36.5 The process by which annual leave will be managed is as follows: 

     (a) A staff member will receive an email when his/her leave balance is 20 or more days but less than 25 days and again when the balance is 25 or more days but less than 30 days.  These emails will serve the purpose of advising the staff member that he/she is close to reaching the maximum permissible limit of 30 days and that to avoid this the staff member should negotiate a leave plan with his/her supervisor. 

     (b) If the staff member’s leave balance reaches 30 days, an email will be sent to the staff member. This email will advise the staff member that he/she has reached the maximum permissible limit of 30 days and that any accrual of leave beyond this limit will constitute "excess annual leave" (EAL).

     (c)  Should the staff member not submit an application for annual leave within two weeks of receipt of the email after his/her leave balance reaches 30 days, his/her supervisor may direct the staff member, in writing, to submit a leave proposal that will eliminate the EAL including any additional leave accrued during any notice period. 

     (d) If the staff member:

• has EAL as at 31 December; and


• has not submitted to the University by the following 7 January an annual leave application that will when the leave is taken result in elimination of the EAL,

he/she will by operation of this clause be rostered and deemed to be on annual leave from his/her first expected working day on or after 7 January.

The duration of such leave will be for the number of days that, after taking the leave, will bring the staff member's leave balance down to 20 days and the staff member’s annual leave will be reduced accordingly.

     (e) An eligible staff member may make an application in writing to the Executive Director, Monash HR to cash out annual leave.  An eligible staff member is a staff member in fixed-term or continuing employment:

• who has not previously had an application to cash out annual leave granted other than under (ii) below; or


• who will have EAL as at 31 December as a consequence of a fraction of employment reduction subsequent to 30 November in the same year and who makes application to cash out by 7 January in the following year.

The minimum period of leave to be cashed out is one week.  A minimum balance of 4 weeks annual leave must be maintained for an application to cash out leave to be accepted.  All payments made when cashing out annual leave are not superannuable and do not count as service.  Staff members are advised to seek financial advice before making an application to cash out leave.  Any acceptance of an application to cash out annual leave must be documented in a written agreement between the staff member and the University.