PROCEDURES

FLEXIBLE WORK YEAR (48/52) PROCEDURES

PURPOSE
The flexible work year scheme (48/52 work year) is intended to provide flexibility in employment for
employees (excluding casual staff) with family responsibilities and for employees who wish to extend
their leave options for personal reasons. Flexible work year arrangements enable employees to better
balance their work and other responsibilities.

PROCEDURES

1 Application

1.1 Employees (excluding casual staff) wishing to participate in the flexible work year scheme should
submit an application to their supervisor. Applications must contain the following information:
the proposed dates of all annual leave, and long service leave or parental leave if applicable,
to be taken during the year;
the proposed dates of the additional paid leave to be taken during the year; and
an indication of the employees preference regarding the level of superannuation
contributions during the year (see Section 3 of these procedures).

1.2 Applications to participate in the 48/52 flexible work year scheme must be for a minimum period of
12 months. Employees may apply for a fixed period to participate in the 48/52 flexible work year
scheme (eg employees may apply to participate for a period of two years), or they may apply for
conversion to a continuing flexible working year appointment.

1.3 An application to participate in the 48/52 flexible work year scheme will be treated as an application
for part-time appointment. Once an employee is converted to a 48/52 week year scheme, reverting
to full-time employment must be mutually agreed by the Head of organisational area and the
employee and will require formal confirmation from the People and Culture Directorate.

1.4 All applications will require the approval of the supervisor and the Head of organisational area.

1.5 Approved applications will be forwarded to the People and Culture Directorate where formal
confirmation will be generated. The Salaries, Superannuation and Systems Section can provide
advice in relation to all salary and superannuation aspects of 48/52 flexible work year scheme.

1.6 Unsuccessful applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application, and the reasons why
their application was unsuccessful as soon as possible after lodgement of the application.

2 Implementation

2.1 An employee's participation in the 48/52 flexible work year scheme will be recorded in writing and a
copy of this record will be maintained on the employee's personnel file in the People and Culture
Directorate.

2.2 All 9.4 weeks leave (5.4 weeks annual leave plus the additional four created by implementing the
48/52 arrangement) must be taken during each 12 month period for which agreement to participate

Flexible Work Year (48/52) Procedures Page 1 of 2

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 in the scheme has been reached. It is generally expected that the employee and the supervisor will
agree on the time of taking leave at the commencement of the 12 month period.

2.3 Where an employee is, for reasons beyond the employees control, unable to take the full 9.4
weeks leave within the agreed period, the employee will not forfeit the accrued leave but seek to
have the leave deferred to be taken at a later stage. If the supervisor and the employee agree that
such accrued leave cannot be deferred, the leave will be paid out. The additional four weeks leave
(ie the portion which does not attract leave loading) will be taken in blocks of not less than two
weeks.

2.4 The periods of leave related to the additional four weeks leave granted under this scheme will be
recorded by the Salaries and Superannuation Officer in the HR System, upon written request by
the employee and subsequent approval by the supervisor being emailed to payroll@cqu.edu.au.
Requests for the normal 5.4 weeks annual leave entitlement (ie that portion which does attract
leave loading) will be submitted and approved through ESSO in the normal manner.

2.5 All forms of leave accrued by an employee prior to converting to the 48/52 flexible work year
scheme will be balanced as at the date immediately prior to converting to the scheme and will be
available to the employee at the rate at which it accrued.

3 Superannuation

During the period an employee participates in the 48/52 flexible work year scheme, their superannuation
contributions will reduce to the level based on their salary for that year. If an employee wishes to
maintain superannuation contributions at a notional full-time rate they will be responsible for making the
necessary arrangements and for maintaining both the notional full-time rate for the employees and the
University's contribution.

RESPONSIBILITIES
The Director, People and Culture will be responsible for ensuring these procedures are followed.

Any proposed changes to the procedures should be made via consultation with the Joint Consultative
Committee.

RECORDS
An employee's participation in the 48/52 flexible work year scheme will be recorded in writing and a copy
of this record will be maintained on the employee's personnel file in the People and Culture Directorate.

All records relevant to these procedures are to be maintained in a recognised University recordkeeping
system.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
Central Queensland University Enterprise Agreement 2012 Clause 13.5 Flexible Work Arrangements
Fair Work Act 2009

Approval Authority Vice-Chancellor and President

Administrator Director, People and Culture
Original Approval Date 24 November 2005
Amendment History Vice-Chancellor and President 24 November 2005; Vice-Chancellor and
President 10 July 2009; Vice-Chancellor and President 29 November 2010;
Vice-Chancellor and President 8 May 2013.
Date of Next Review 8 May 2016
Related Documents
Flexible Work Year (48/52) Procedures Page 2 of 2
Version: 5
Once PRINTED, this is an UNCONTROLLED DOCUMENT. Refer to Policy Portal for latest version.
CQUniversity CRICOS Provider Codes: QLD - 00219C; NSW - 01315F; VIC - 01624D