53. Voluntary Reduced Working Year

53.1 A voluntary reduced working year scheme is available to all continuing and fixed-term Trades and Services Staff who wish to extend their leave options for personal and/or family responsibility reasons. A Trades and Services 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 an increase in additional paid leave over a 52 week period. This additional leave will not attract annual leave loading and must be taken during the 12-month term of the reduced working year arrangement. Such leave will be taken by application, except where the staff member gives at least three months’ notice.

53.2 Operation of the scheme is subject to the following conditions:

1. Staff with any excess annual or long service leave balance under Schedule 6 are not eligible to participate or remain in the scheme.
2. The term of the arrangement will be negotiated and may be varied by either the University or the Trades and Services Staff member, subject to three months’ notice or shorter notice by the Trades and Services Staff member where agreed by the University.
3. 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.
4. Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of Schedule 3 and clause 1 of Schedule 6, 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.