AN170028 – Electrical/Electronic Trades (Public Sector) Award
(a) Eligibility for Maternity Leave
An employee who becomes pregnant, shall upon production to her employer of a certificate from a duly qualified medical practitioner stating the presumed date of her confinement, be entitled to maternity leave provided that she has had not less than 12 months' continuous service with that employer immediately preceding the date upon which she proceeds upon such leave.
For the purposes of this clause:
(i) An employee shall include a part-time employee but shall not include an employee engaged upon casual or seasonal work.
(ii) Maternity leave shall mean unpaid maternity leave.
(b) Period of Leave and Commencement of Leave
(i) Subject to subclauses (c) and (f) hereof, the period of maternity leave shall be for an unbroken period of from 6 to 52 weeks and shall include a period of 6 weeks compulsory leave to be taken immediately following confinement.
(ii) An employee shall, not less than 10 weeks prior to the presumed date of confinement, give notice in writing to her employer stating the presumed date of confinement.
(iii) An employee shall give not less than 4 weeks' notice in writing to her employer of the date upon which she proposes to commence maternity leave stating the period of leave to be taken.
(iv) The employer by not less than 14 days' notice in writing to the employee may require her to commence maternity leave at any time within 6 weeks immediately prior to her presumed date of confinement.
(v) An employee shall not be in breach of this clause as a consequence of failure to give the stipulated period of notice in accordance with paragraph (iii) hereof, if such failure is occasioned by the confinement occurring earlier than the presumed date.
(c) Transfer to a Safe Job
Where in the opinion of a duly qualified medical practitioner, illness or risks arising out of the pregnancy or hazards connected with the work assigned to the employee make it inadvisable for the employee to continue at her present work, the employee shall, if the employer deems it practicable, be transferred to a safe job at the rate and on the conditions attaching to that job until the commencement of maternity leave.
If the transfer to a safe job is not practicable, the employee may, or the employer may require the employee to, take leave for such period as is certified necessary by a duly qualified medical practitioner. Such leave shall be treated as maternity leave for the purposes of subclauses (g), (h), (i) and (j) hereof.
(d) Variation of Period of Maternity Leave
(i) Provided the addition does not extend the maternity leave beyond 52 weeks, the period may be lengthened once only, save with the agreement of the employer, by the employee giving not less than 14 days' notice in writing stating the period by which the leave is to be lengthened.
(ii) The period of leave may, with the consent of the employer, be shortened by the employee giving not less than 14 days' notice in writing stating the period by which the leave is to be shortened.
(e) Cancellation of Maternity Leave
(i) Maternity leave, applied for but not commenced, shall be cancelled when the pregnancy of an employee terminates other than by the birth of a living child.
(ii) Where the pregnancy of an employee then on maternity leave terminates other than by the birth of a living child, it shall be the right of the employee to resume work at a time nominated by the employer which shall not exceed 4 weeks from the date of notice in writing by the employee to the employer that she desires to resume work.
(f) Special Maternity Leave and Sick Leave
(i) Where the pregnancy of an employee not then on maternity leave terminates after 28 weeks other than by the birth of a living child then:
(a) she shall be entitled to such period of unpaid leave (to be known as special maternity leave) as a duly qualified medical practitioner certifies as necessary before her return to work; or
(b) for illness other than the normal consequences of confinement she shall be entitled, either in lieu of or in addition to special maternity leave, to such paid sick leave as to which she is then entitled and which a duly qualified medical practitioner certifies as necessary before her return to work.
(ii) Where an employee not then on maternity leave suffers illness related to her pregnancy, she may take such paid sick leave as to which she is then entitled and such further unpaid leave (to be known as special maternity leave) as a duly qualified medical practitioner certifies as necessary before her return to work, provided that the aggregate of paid sick leave, special maternity leave and maternity leave shall not exceed 52 weeks.
(iii) For the purposes of subclauses (g), (h) and (i) hereof, maternity leave shall include special maternity leave.
(iv) An employee returning to work after the completion of a period of leave taken pursuant to this subclause shall be entitled to the position which she held immediately before proceeding on such leave or, in the case of an employee who was transferred to a safe job pursuant to subclause (c), to the position she held immediately before such transfer.
Where such position no longer exists but there are other positions available, for which the employee is qualified and the duties of which she is capable of performing, she shall be entitled to a position as nearly comparable in status and salary or wage to that of her former position.
(g) Maternity Leave and Other Entitlements
Provided the aggregate of leave including leave taken pursuant to subclauses (c) and (f) hereof does not exceed 52 weeks:
(i) An employee may, in lieu of or in conjunction with maternity leave, take any annual leave or any part thereof to which she is then entitled.
(ii) Paid sick leave or other paid authorised award absences (excluding annual leave), shall not be available to an employee during her absence on maternity leave.
(h) Effect of Maternity Leave on Employment
Notwithstanding any award or other provision to the contrary, absence on maternity leave shall not break the continuity of service of an employee but shall not be taken into account in calculating the period of service for any purpose of an award.
(i) Termination of Employment
(i) An employee on maternity leave may terminate her employment at any time during the period of leave by notice given in accordance with this award.
(ii) The employer shall not terminate the employment of an employee on the ground of her pregnancy or of her absence on maternity leave, but otherwise the rights of the employer in relation to termination of employment are not hereby affected.
(j) Return to Work After Maternity Leave
(i) An employee shall confirm her intention of returning to her work by notice in writing to the employer given not less than 4 weeks prior to the expiration of her period of maternity leave.
(ii) An employee, upon expiration of the notice required by paragraph (i) hereof, shall be entitled to the position which she held immediately before proceeding on maternity leave or, in the case of an employee who was transferred to a safe job pursuant to subclause (c) to the position which she held immediately before such transfer. Where such position no longer exists but there are other positions available for which the employee is qualified and the duties of which she is capable of performing, she shall be entitled to a position as nearly comparable in status and salary or wage to that of her former position.
(k) Replacement Employees
(i) A replacement employee is an employee specifically engaged as a result of an employee proceeding on maternity leave.
(ii) Before the employer engages a replacement employee under this subclause, the employer shall inform that person of the temporary nature of the employment and of the rights of the employee who is being replaced.
(iii) Before the employer engages a person to replace an employee temporarily promoted or transferred in order to replace an employee exercising her rights under this clause, the employer shall inform that person of the temporary nature of the promotion or transfer and of the rights of the employee who is being replaced.
(iv) Provided that nothing in this subclause shall be construed as requiring the employer to engage a replacement employee.
(v) A replacement employee shall not be entitled to any of the rights conferred by this clause except where her employment continues beyond the 12 months' qualifying period.
