Flexible Work Arrangements for Work/Family/Personal Life Balance

To support staff with family or other commitments there are options available for full-time staff to adopt a 48 week year for a negotiated 12 month period. The salary paid to them will be 48/52 of their full-time salary.

Within the nominated 12 month period staff are able to apply to have 4 weeks additional Annual Leave, with a proportionate reduction in salary spread over the full year. All 8 weeks leave must be taken during the 12 month period for which approval has been given.

In specific circumstances an employee and the University may agree to a more flexible employment cycle arrangement, provided it does not extend beyond a 46/52 week employment cycle for a twelve month period. A 46/52 week arrangement would allow a staff member to have 6 weeks additional leave.

During the period of a 48/52 week scheme Annual, Sick and Long Service Leave will continue to accrue at the normal full-time rate.

Employees can choose whether or not they wish to have their employee contributions to UniSuper reduced to the applicable rate or have the employee and employer superannuation contributions maintained at the full-time rate by paying that amount themselves. The University will advise the employee of the superannuation implications prior to them entering a 48/52.

These 'award provisions/entitlements' above do not apply to casual or sessional staff members.

Currently there are no 48/52 entitlements available for TAFE Teaching Staff.

How to apply for 48/52, (Academic and General Staff Only)

• Fully understand your 48/52 week employment cycle entitlements and options.
• See link below and/or discuss your situation and plans confidentially with Human Resources (Richelle Brehaut, Human Resources Co-ordinator, x9367 or r.brehaut@ballarat.edu.au).
• Negotiate arrangements with your Supervisor.
• Submit a written request to your supervisor, detailing your leave schedule for the 12 month period. The relevant Head of School/Director must then endorse this request, making sure that working arrangements for the area are adequately covered, and forward the request to Human Resources. Human Resources will then write to you, confirming details.
• To extend your current 48/52 arrangements you must re-negotiate with your supervisor annually.
• Discuss superannuation details with Glenn Bench ext 9517.

Link to detailed information on entitlements and conditions relevant to 48/52 Week Year:

Clause 34 Forty-Eight/Fifty-Two (48/52) Week Employment Cycle
University of Ballarat - Union Collective Agreement 2006 -2008 Academic & General Staff

34.2 A 48/52-week employment cycle will enable an employee to take four weeks leave in addition to the normal four weeks of annual leave in a year and receive forty-eight weeks' salary, which would be payable over fifty-two weeks.

34.3 An employee's continued participation in the 48/52-week employment cycle is subject to annual review and approval by the University.

34.4 Annual leave, sick leave, and long-service leave will accrue at the full-time rate, however all paid leave taken will be paid at the rate of 48/52 of the employee's full-time salary.

34.5 Where an employee is being paid on a 48/52-week employment cycle, and their employment terminates, the University will either provide additional payment to the employee or recoup payment from the employee's termination benefits, so that the employee is paid for duties actually carried out up to the date of termination.

34.6 The University will require an employee to take all eight weeks leave during each year of the 48/52-week employment cycle and agreed dates of this leave will be specified in the approval of the 48/52 week employment cycle.

34.7 The University will advise an employee of the superannuation implications prior to the employee entering into a 48/52-week employment cycle with such an employee being treated as a fractional employee for the duration of the 48/52 employment cycle unless he/she has agreed to maintain employee and employer superannuation contributions at the notional full-time rate.

34.8 Notwithstanding anything contained in this Clause, in specific circumstances an employee and the University may agree to a more flexible employment cycle arrangement, provided it does not extend beyond a 46/52 week employment cycle for a twelve-month period. Such an arrangement shall be formally set out in a written agreement between the University and the employee.