AN160268 – Public Service Award 1992
(1) Conditions for Granting Time Off
(a) An officer may be granted time off with pay for study purposes at the discretion of the employer.
(b) Part-time officers are entitled to study leave on the same basis as full time officers. Officers working shift work or on fixed term contracts have the same access to study leave as all other officers.
(c) Time off with pay may be granted up to a maximum of five hours per week including travelling time, where subjects of approved courses are available during normal working hours, or where approved study by correspondence is undertaken.
(d) Officers who are obliged to attend educational institutions for compulsory block sessions, may be granted time off with pay including travelling time up to the maximum annual amount allowed in subclause (1) ( c) of this clause.
(e) Officers shall be granted sufficient time off with pay to travel to and sit for the examinations of any approved course of study.
(f) In every case the approval of time off to attend lectures and tutorials will be subject to:
(i) agency convenience;
(ii) the course being undertaken on a part-time basis;
(iii) officers undertaking an acceptable formal study load in their own time;
(iv) officers making satisfactory progress with their studies;
(v) the course being of value to the agency; and
(vi) the employer’s discretion when the course is only relevant to the officer’s career in the Service and being of value to the State.
(g) A service agreement or bond will not be required.
(2) Payment of Fees and Other Costs
(a) Cadets and Trainees
(i) Agencies are to meet the payment of higher education administrative charges for cadets and trainees who, as a condition of their employment, are required to undertake studies at a University or College of Advanced Education. Officers who of their own volition attend such institutions to gain higher qualifications will be responsible for the payment of fees.
(ii) This assistance does not include the cost of textbooks or Guild and Society fees.
(iii) An officer who is required to repeat a full academic year of the course will be responsible for payment of the higher education fees for that particular year.
(b) All Officers
Notwithstanding paragraph (a), the employer has the discretion to reimburse an officer for the full or part of any reasonable costs of enrolment fees, Higher Education Contribution Surcharge, compulsory textbooks, compulsory computer software, and other necessary study materials. Half of the value of the agreed costs shall be reimbursed immediately following production of written evidence of enrolment and costs incurred, and the remaining half shall be reimbursed following production of written evidence of successful completion of the subject for which reimbursement has been claimed. The employer and officer may agree to alternative reimbursement arrangements.
(3) Approved Courses
(a) (i) First-degree or associate diploma courses at a University within the state of Western Australia.
(ii) First degree or associate diploma courses at a college of advanced education.
(iii) Diploma courses at Technical and Further Education (TAFE).
(iv) Two-year full time Certificate courses at TAFE.
(v) Courses recognised by the National Authority for the Accreditation of Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) in a language relevant to the needs of the Public Sector.
(b) Except as outlined in subclause (3)(d) of this clause, officers are not eligible for study assistance if they already possess one of the qualifications specified in subclause (3)(a)(i) and 3(a)(ii) of this clause.
(c) An officer who has completed a Diploma through TAFE is eligible for study assistance to undertake a degree course at a University within the state of Western Australia or a College of Advanced Education. An officer who has completed a two year full time Certificate through TAFE is eligible for study assistance to undertake a Diploma course specified in subclause (3)(a)(iii) or a degree or associate diploma course specified in subclause (3)(a)(i) or (3)(a)(ii) of this clause.
(d) Assistance towards additional qualifications including second or higher degrees may be granted in special cases, at the discretion of the employer.
(4) (a) An acceptable part-time study load should be regarded as not less than five hours per week of formal tuition with at least half of the total formal study commitment being undertaken in the officer’s own time, except in special cases such as where the officer is in the final year of study and requires less time to complete the course, or the officer is undertaking the recommended part-time year or stage and this does not entail five hours formal study.
(b) A first degree or Associate Diploma course does not include the continuation of a degree or Associate Diploma towards a higher postgraduate qualification.
(c) In cases where officers are studying subjects which require fortnightly classes the weekly study load should be calculated by averaging over two weeks the total fortnightly commitment.
(d) In agencies which are operating on flexi-time, time spent attending or travelling to or from formal classes for approved courses between 8.15 am and 4.30 pm, less the usual lunch break, and for which “time off” would usually be granted, is to be counted as credit time for the purpose of calculating total hours worked per week.
(e) Travelling time returning home after lectures or tutorials is to be calculated as the excess time taken to travel home from such classes, compared with the time usually taken to travel home from the officer’s normal place of work.
(f) An officer shall not be granted more than 5 hours time off with pay per week except in exceptional circumstances where the employer may decide otherwise.
(g) Time off with pay for those who have failed a unit or units may be considered for one repeat year only.
(5) Subject to the provisions of subclause (6) of this clause, the employer may grant an officer full time study leave with pay to undertake:
(a) post graduate degree studies at Australian or overseas tertiary education institutions; or
(b) study tours involving observations and/or investigations; or
(c) a combination of postgraduate studies and study tour.
(6) Applications for full time study leave with pay are to be considered on their merits and may be granted provided that the following conditions are met:
(a) The course or a similar course is not available locally. Where the course of study is available locally, applications are to be considered in accordance with the provisions of subclause (1) to (5) of this clause and the Leave Without Pay provisions of this Award.
(b) It must be a highly specialised course with direct relevance to the officer’s profession.
(c) It must be highly relevant to the agency’s corporate strategies and goals.
(d) The expertise or specialisation offered by the course of study should not already be available through other officers employed within the agency.
(e) If the applicant was previously granted study leave, studies must have been successfully completed at that time. Where an officer is still under a bond, this does not preclude approval being granted to take further study leave if all the necessary criteria are met.
(f) A fixed term contract officer may not be granted study leave with pay for any period beyond that officer’s approved period of engagement.
(7) Full time study leave with pay may be approved for more than 12 months subject to a yearly review of satisfactory performance.
(8) Where an outside award is granted and the studies to be undertaken are considered highly desirable by an employer, financial assistance to the extent of the difference between the officer’s normal salary and the value of the award may be considered. Where no outside award is granted and where a request meets all the necessary criteria then part or full payment of salary may be approved at the discretion of the employer.
(9) The employer supports recipients of coveted awards and fellowships by providing study leave with pay. Recipients normally receive as part of the award or fellowship; return airfares, payment of fees, allowance for books, accommodation or a contribution towards accommodation.
(10) Where recipients are in receipt of a living allowance, this amount should be deducted from the officer’s salary for that period.
(11) Where the employer approves full time study leave with pay the actual salary contribution forms part of the agency’s approved average staffing level funding allocation. Employers should bear this in mind if considering temporary relief.
(12) Where study leave with pay is approved and the employer also supports the payment of transit costs and/or an accommodation allowance, the employer will gain approval for the transit and accommodation costs as required.
(13) Where officers travelling overseas at their own expense wish to participate in a study tour or convention whilst on tour, study leave with pay may be approved by the employer together with some local transit and accommodation expenses providing it meets the requirements of subclause (6) of this clause. Each case is to be considered on its merits.
(14) The period of full time study leave with pay is accepted as qualifying service for leave entitlements and other privileges and conditions of service prescribed for officers under this Award.
