AP820387 - Clerks’ (Oil Companies) Award 2002

PART 5 - WAGES AND RELATED MATTERS 

15. ADULT MINIMUM RATES OF PAY

[15 substituted by PR929398 PR933161 PR947207; PR959020 ppc 02Jul04]

Grade	Total award rate
	$/week
1	543.40
2	563.90
3	578.20
4	606.00
5	639.00
6	679.00

15.2 Safety net Adjustment

[15.2 substituted by PR933161 PR947207; PR959020 ppc 02Jul04]

The The rates of pay in this award include the arbitrated safety net adjustment payable under the Safety Net Review - Wages June 2005 decision [PR002005]. This arbitrated safety net adjustment may be offset against any equivalent amount in rates of pay received by employees whose wages and conditions of employment are regulated by this award which are above the wage rates prescribed in the award. Such above award payments include wages payable pursuant to certified agreements, currently operating enterprise flexibility agreements, Australian workplace agreements, award variations to give effect to enterprise agreements and overaward arrangements. Absorption which is contrary to the terms of an agreement is not required.

Increases made under previous National Wage Case principles or under the current Statement of Principles, excepting those resulting from enterprise agreements, are not to be used to offset arbitrated safety net adjustments.

15.3 Classifications

15.3.1 Grade 1 Clerical Assistant

15.3.1(a) Employees in this grade perform and are accountable for clerical and office tasks as directed within the skill levels set out. They work within established routines, methods and procedures. Supervision is direct.

Employees shall be graded at this level where the principal functions of their employment, as determined by the Employer, require the exercise of any one or more of the skill levels set out below.

Employees may be required to train other employees in the skills of their own grade by means of personal instruction and demonstration.

15.3.1(b) Machine operation - Skill level 1

• Operate telephone/intercom systems, telephone answering machines, facsimile machines, photocopiers, franking machines, guillotines.

15.3.1(c) Information handling skills - Skill level 1

• Receive, sort, open, distribute incoming mail, process outgoing mail, receive incoming and dispatch outgoing courier mail, deliver messages and documents to appropriate persons/locations.
• Prepare and collate documents.
• Sort and file documents/records accurately in correct location/sequence using an established paper based filing system.

15.3.1(d) Enterprise/industry, Specialist skills - Skill level 1

• Acquire and apply a limited knowledge of office procedures and requirements.

15.3.2 Grade 2 Clerical Officer

15.3.2(a) Employees in this grade perform clerical and office tasks using a more extensive range of skills and knowledge at a level higher than required in Grade 1. They are responsible and accountable for their own work which is performed within established routines, methods and procedures.

Supervision is routine.

Employees shall be graded at this level where the principal functions of their employment, as determined by the Employer, require the exercise of any one or more of the skill levels set out below.

Employees may be required to train other employees in the skills of their own grade and below by means of personal instruction and demonstration.

15.3.2(b) Machine operation - Skill level 2

• Operate adding machines, switchboard, paging system, telex machine, typewriter and calculator.

15.3.2(c) Computer - Skill level 1

• Use knowledge of keyboard and function keys to enter and retrieve data through computer terminal.

15.3.2(d) Keyboard typing - Skill level 1

• Copy type at 25 words per minute with 98% accuracy.

15.3.2(e) Information handling skills - Skill level 2

• Maintain mail register and records.
• Maintain established paper-based filing/records systems in accordance with set procedures including creating and indexing new files, distributing files within the organisation as requested, monitoring file locations.
• Transcribe information into records, complete forms, take telephone messages.

15.3.2(f) Enterprise/industry, Specialist skills - Skill level 2

• Acquire and apply a working knowledge of office or sectional operating procedures and requirements.
• Acquire and apply a working knowledge of the organisation's structure and personnel in order to deal with inquiries at first instance, locate appropriate staff in different sections, relay internal information, respond to or redirect inquiries, greet visitors.

15.3.2(g) Business/financial skills - Skill level 1

• Keep appropriate records.
• Sort, process and record original source financial documents (e.g. Invoices, cheques, correspondence) on a daily basis; maintain and record petty cash; prepare bank deposits and withdrawals and do banking.

15.3.3 Grade 3 Clerical Officer

15.3.3(a) Employees in this grade perform clerical and office tasks using a more extensive range of skills and knowledge at a level higher than required in Grade 2.

They are responsible and accountable for their own work, which is performed within established guidelines, they exercise limited discretion within the range of their skill and knowledge. Supervision is general.

Employees shall be graded at this level where the principal functions of their employment, as determined by the Employer, require the exercise of any one or more of the skill levels set out below

Employees may be required to train other employees in the skills of their own grade and below by means of personal instruction and demonstration.

15.3.3(b) Machine operation - Skill level 3

• Operate computerised radio telephone equipment, micro/personal computer, printing devices attached to personal computer, dictaphone equipment, typewriters.

15.3.3(c) Keyboard typing - Skill level 2

• Produce documents and correspondence using knowledge of standard formats, touch type at 40 words per minute with 98% accuracy, audio type.

15.3.3(d) Computer - Skill level 2

• Use one or more software application package(s) developed for a micro/personal computer to operate and populate a database, spreadsheet/worksheet to achieve a desired result; graph previously prepared spreadsheet; use simple menu utilities of personal computer.
• Following standard procedures or template for the preceding functions using existing models/fields of information. Create, maintain and generate simple reports.
• Use a central computer resource to an equivalent standard.

15.3.3(e) Word processing - Skill level 1

• Use one or more software packages to create, format, edit, proof read, spell check, correct, print and save text documents, e.g. Standard correspondence and business documents.
• Apply additional functions such as search and replace, variable fonts, moving and merging across documents and simple maths.

15.3.3(f) Secretarial - Skill level 1

• Take shorthand notes at 70 words per minute and transcribe with 95% accuracy.
• Arrange travel bookings and itineraries, make appointments, screen telephone calls, follow visitor protocol procedures, establish telephone contact on behalf of executive.

15.3.3(g) Enterprise/industry, Specialist skills - Skill level 3

• Apply a working knowledge of the organisation's products/services, functions, locations and clients.

• Respond to and act upon most internal/external inquiries in own function area.

15.3.3(h) Information handling skills - Skill level 3

• Use and maintain a computer-based record management system to identify, access and extract information from internal sources.
• Maintain circulation, indexing and filing systems for publications, review files, close files, archive files.

15.3.3(i) Business/financial skills - Skill level 2

• Maintain financial records and journals; collect and prepare time and wages records; prepare accounts payable for authorisation; respond to simple account queries from debtors; post transactions to ledger.
• Employees holding a Certificate of Office & Secretarial Studies (TAFE) or accredited equivalent and who are required to use skills and perform tasks within the range of skills in Grade 3 shall be graded at Grade 3 or above.

15.3.4 Grade 4 Clerical Officer

15.3.4(a) Employees in this grade perform clerical and office tasks using a more extensive range of skills and knowledge at a level higher than required in Grade 3. They are responsible and accountable for their own work, and exercise discretion and initiative in the organisation of work within prescribed limits. Supervision is limited.

Employees shall be graded at this level where the principal functions of their employment, as determined by the Employer, require the exercise of any one or more of the skill levels set out below.

Employees may be required to train other employees in the skills of their own grade and below by means of personal instruction and demonstration.

15.3.4(b) Keyboard typing - Skill level 3

• Format complex documents including technical data, technical language, tables, graphs, text design, indexing, variable type face; produce documents requiring specified form or to comply with regulations or standards.

15.3.4(c) Computer - Skill level 3

• Apply knowledge of intermediate functions to manipulate data, i.e. Modify fields of information, develop new basic databases or spreadsheet models; spreadsheet, perform reconciliation.

15.3.4(d) Word processing - Skill level 2

• Use one or more software packages to apply advanced functions such as text columns, money columns, tables, e.g. To produce financial statements, printed forms, sorting, boxes, create displays of charts or graphs in report format, select style sheets appropriate to final presentation.

15.3.4(e) Secretarial - Skill level 2

• Take shorthand notes at 100 words per minute and transcribe at 95% accuracy; manage executive appointments; respond to invitations; organise internal meetings on behalf of executive; establish and maintain reference lists/personal contact systems for executives.

15.3.4(f) Enterprise/industry, Specialist skills - Skill level 4

• Provide detailed advice and information on the organisation's products and services; respond to client/public/supplier and internal organisation inquiries, within own function area, using such techniques as personal interview and liaison; explain organisation's viewpoint to clients and appropriate persons; using knowledge of internal/external regulatory requirements related to own function area.
• Acquire and use specialist vocabulary, i.e. Technical/medical/legal within the scope of this grade.

15.3.4(g) Information handling skills - Skill level 4

• Create new forms of files and records as required using computer-based records systems; e.g. Customer/client/supplier and subscription lists.
• Access, identify, and extract information as required from external sources, e.g. Databases, libraries, local authorities.

15.3.4(h) Business/financial skills - Skill level 3

• Prepare cash payment summaries and banking reports; apply purchasing and inventory control requirements; reconcile debtors, creditors and general ledger accounts to balance; follow-up unpaid accounts by telephone liaison/interview, prepare documentation on overdue accounts for senior officers or referral to debt recovery processes; calculate wage and salary requirements including tax, superannuation and other deductions and transfer payments for authorisation; calculate stock valuations; prepare bank reconciliations; calculate costings using established formulae for all inputs and margins.

15.3.4(i) Supervisory - Skill level 1

• Allocate work tasks to individuals, check work progress and correct errors.

15.3.5 Grade 5 Administrative Officer

15.3.5(a) Employees in this grade perform clerical and administrative duties using a more extensive range of skills and knowledge at a level higher than required in Grade 4. They are responsible and accountable for their own work, and may have limited responsibility for the work of others. They exercise initiative, discretion and judgement within the range of their skills and knowledge. Supervision is minimal. Employees shall be graded at this level where the principal functions of their employment, as determined by the Employer, require the exercise of any one or more of the skill levels numbered set out below.

Employees may be required to train other employees in the skills of their own grade and below by means of personal instruction and demonstration.

15.3.5(b) Computer - Skill level 4

• Use a variety of application software packages within a micro/personal computer network including importing data from one package to another.
• Evaluate usefulness or applicability of software programs (using existing software programs) and recommend preferred solutions to meet new or different application requirements.
• Use advanced spreadsheet functions (e.g. Macro functions etc) to enhance operation of the spreadsheet.
• Use a central computer resource to an equivalent standard.

15.3.5(c) Word processing - Skill level 3

• Use all preceding word processing functions and integrate word processing software with other application software packages to produce complex text and data documents.
• Apply knowledge of desktop publishing to integrate complex documents.
• Apply advanced functions including Macros, moving columns for complex formatting of documents such as multi-column reports and presentations, including booklets. Apply complex maths functions.

15.3.5(d) Secretarial - Skill level 3

• Take shorthand notes at 120 words per minute and transcribe at 95% accuracy; attend executive/organisational meetings and take minutes; answer executive correspondence from verbal or rough handwritten instructions; organise teleconferences.

15.3.5(e) Enterprise industry, Specialist skills - Skill level 5

• Apply detailed knowledge of the industry in which the organisation operates to complex issues/arrangements in such areas as consumer/client services, special products/service knowledge, and respond within established internal/external regulatory parameters and policies.
• Indicative Specialist Skills Include;
• Apply detailed knowledge of customs law and regulations to overseas sales and ordering.
• Apply detailed knowledge of inventory/stock requirements to obtain competitive quotations and initiate purchasing.
• Apply detailed knowledge of internal/external regulatory parameters and policies relating to industrial employment law, occupational health and safety, workers compensation claims procedures, superannuation requirements.

15.3.5(f) Information handling skills - Skill level 5

• Develop, plan and implement new paper based/manual filing records systems for the enterprise; assist in separate undertaking research (locate/solicit, summarise/extract and interpret information) related to function areas.

15.3.5(g) Business/financial skills - Skill level 4

• Post transactions to ledger and prepare a trial balance; prepare end of the period adjustments and transfers using general journal; prepare financial/tax schedules for periodic tax requirements such as payroll, sales and group tax returns; reconcile general ledger accounts; determine costings by calculating input costs and margins.
• Apply detailed knowledge of organisations credit terms to new accounts and to following up significant debtors, prepare periodic debtor statements.

15.3.5(h) Supervisory - Skill level 2

• Resolve operational problems for staff in lower grades, coordinate work flow within a section or unit, and counsel and advise staff who are under routine supervision.

15.3.6 Grade 6 Administrative Officer

15.3.6(a) Employees in this grade perform clerical and administrative duties using a more extensive range of skills and knowledge at a level higher than required in Grade 5. They are responsible and accountable for their own work, and may have responsibility for the work of a section or unit. They exercise initiative, discretion and judgement within the range of their skills and knowledge. Supervision is by means of reporting to more senior staff as required.

Employees shall be graded at this level where the principal functions of their employment, as determined by the Employer, require the exercise of any one or more of the skill levels set out below.

Employees may be required to train other employees in the skills of their own grade and below by means of personal instruction and demonstration.

15.3.6(b) Computer - Skill level 5

• Operating/coordinating a group of computers such as a small multi-user system or a large group of personal computers which may include operating a help desk, running and monitoring batch jobs and performing regular back-ups and restores.

15.3.6(c) Enterprise/industry, Specialist skills - Skill level 6

• Apply knowledge of the organisation's objectives and performance, and apply specialist knowledge, in areas such as projected growth, product trends and general industry conditions, examples include:
• knowledge of competitors and major clients market structure in the performance of own responsibilities;
• import/export activities.
• Indicative Specialist Skills Include;
• Use knowledge of basic statistics to interpret data from spreadsheets, statistical tables, graphs and frequency tables in the performance of own responsibilities.

• Administration of workers compensation claims, insurance and disputed claims.

15.3.6(d) Supervisory - Skill level 3

• Plan and organise work priorities of a unit or section; re-schedule workloads as necessary and resolve operational problems for unit or section; monitor work quality of those supervised; use observations, diagnosis and intervention skills to ensure unit/section meets objectives; organise and chair necessary work meetings/conferences; assist in planning future sectional/office organisational resources and equipment needs.

15.3.6(e) Business/financial skills - Skill level 5

• Administer individual salary packages, travel expenses, allowances and company transport. Administer specialist salary and payroll requirements, e.g. Eligible Termination Payments, Superannuation Trust Deed Requirements, Redundancy Calculations, Maintenance Support Schemes, etc.

15.3.6(f) Secretarial - Skill level 4

• As well as having shorthand skills of Skill Level 3, arrange conferences and external meetings, including venues, agendas, documentation, audio-visual requirements, catering, transport and accommodation; originate executive correspondence; assist executive in preparing, attending and following up appointments, interviews, meetings, etc; assume responsibility for Designated areas of executive's work, on delegated authority.

15.3.7 Juniors

Junior employees shall be graded in the manner set out in 16. Junior wages per week shall be the percentage of the relevant adult minimum grade rate of pay as follows:

Age	Percentage wage
	%
Under 16	45
At 16	50
At 17	60
At 18	70
At 19	80
At 20	90

15.3.8 Definitions - supervision

Employees in Grades 1 to 5 are subject to supervision, defined as follows:

15.3.8(i) Direct - the employee receives detailed instructions on work to be performed and is subject to frequent personal progress checks.

15.3.8(ii) Routine - the employee receives broad instructions on work to be performed except when new or unusual features require more specific instructions. Work in progress is checked intermittently whilst all work is checked on completion.

15.3.8(iii) General - the employee receives specific instructions only when new procedures or tasks are involved. Work is checked on completion.

15.3.8(iv) Limited - the employee is subject to work checks which are generally confined to establishing that satisfactory progress is being made. Work is reviewed on completion.

15.3.8(v) Minimal - the employee is subject to final review/report back on work and may receive assistance with specific problems.

15.4 Higher Duties

15.4.1 An adult employee called on to perform continuously the whole of the work of another employee in a higher grade for a period of one week or more will be paid for time worked at the higher of:

15.4.1(a) the minimum rate of pay prescribed for that higher grade; or

15.4.1(b) the rate in the rates of pay scale for the higher grade which is next higher than the award rate applicable to the relieving employee in his/her substantive grade.

15.4.1(c) However, an employee will not be paid for such period of higher duties at a lower rate than his/her existing ordinary rate.

15.4.1(d) Where the conditions in 15.4.1 have been met in any one year and an employee is subsequently required by his or her supervisor to act in that higher position on a regular basis for periods of less than one week (where it is required by the supervisor) and it can be clearly demonstrated that the employee concerned will perform fully and has full responsibility for the higher graded position, the higher payment prescribed in 15.4.1(a) and 15.4.1(b) will apply for all periods of one full day or more so worked.

15.4.2 Any junior employee called upon to perform continuously the whole of the work of another employee in a position graded higher than Grade 1 for a period of one week or more will be paid for all such time worked an additional amount which will be equal to the difference between the rate applicable to an adult in Grade 1 and the rate applicable to an adult in the grade in which he/she is required to perform.

15.5 Option for annualised salary

Notwithstanding anything elsewhere contained in this award:

15.5.1 An employee may agree with his/her employer, as an alternative to being paid in accordance with clause 15.1, to be paid an annualised salary.

15.5.2 Where an employee and an employer agree that the employee be paid an annualised salary in accordance with 15.5.1 the following will apply:

15.5.2.1 There is no requirement that the employer pay award penalty rates, overtime payments and allowances in addition to the annualised salary. However the annualised salary, less the Superannuation Guarantee Levy component, must be subject to annual review and be sufficient to cover what the employee would have been paid if all award penalty rates, overtime payments and allowances were paid based on a 35 hour week.

15.5.2.2 The agreement reached in 15.5.1 will be confirmed in writing by the employer and will include the employee’s classification, normal starting and finishing times and the annual salary paid in regular, but no less than 12 monthly, instalments each year.

15.5.2.3 The employee shall receive a minimum of eight days off in each four-week cycle. If such an employee is required to work on a public holiday, the employee shall receive a day off in lieu of the public holiday, or have a day added to his or her annual leave entitlement.

15.5.2.4 In the event of termination of employment prior to completion of a year, the annualised salary paid during such period of employment will be sufficient to cover what the employee would have received if all award penalty rates, overtime payments and allowances were paid.

15.5.2.5 At the employee’s request a review of the employee’s annualised salary will be conducted if the salary, less the Superannuation Guarantee Levy component, does not cover what the employee would have received if all award penalty rates, overtime payments and allowances arising from the award were paid. As a result of a review, an employee may elect to revert back to the award rates of pay basis and receive all award benefits in lieu of the salary.