Bushfire leave entitlements
Crown Employees (Public Service Conditions of Employment) Award 2009
17. Natural Emergencies and Major Transport Disruptions
17.1 A staff member prevented from attending work at a normal work location by a natural emergency or by a major transport disruption may:
17.1.1 apply to vary the working hours as provided in clause 16, Variation of Hours of this award; and/or
17.1.2 negotiate an alternative working location with the Department; and/or
17.1.3 take available family and community service leave and/or flex leave, recreation or extended leave or leave without pay to cover the period concerned.
Personnel Handbook:
http://www.dpc.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/file/0004/103774/Personnel_Handbook.pdf
6-11 Natural emergencies and major transport disruptions
6-11.1 Sources of authority
Crown Employees (Public Service Conditions of Employment) Award 2009, clause 17, Natural Emergencies and Major Transport Disruptions.
6-11.2 Work location
Employees should make every effort to attend their normal work location during natural emergencies and major transport disruptions. If an employee is prevented from so doing by a natural emergency (such as a bush fire, flood, and the like) or because of a major transport disruption, any one or more of the following procedures outlined in subclause 17.1 of the Award should be adopted.
6-11.2.1 Teleworking
In situations such as those outlined in 6-11.2 Work location, teleworking should be considered for the duration of the disruption, subject to Departmental convenience, the nature of the employees duties, and agreement by the Department and the employee on the procedures to be followed.
6-11.2.2 Reporting to another office or department
Subject to Departmental convenience, the employee may arrange to report to another office of the Department where suitable work is available.
If unable to be accommodated in the same Department, the employee should arrange to report to the office of another Department, subject to the concurrence of both Department Heads and work being available.
6-11.3 Extension of settlement period
When a prolonged transport disruption occurs, Department Heads may extend the flexible working hours settlement period during which the transport disruption occurred by a further four weeks, in order to allow employees to make up additional time taken during the disruption.
Normal provisions regarding maximum debits and credits at the end of the extended settlement period are to apply. That is, not more than 10 hours debit or credit is to be brought forward to the next four weekly settlement period.
6-18 Special leave
6-18.1 Sources of authority
Crown Employees (Public Service Conditions of Employment) Award 2009, clause, 84, Special Leave.
6-18.2 General
Special leave is paid leave which applies to activities not regarded as being on duty and which are not covered by other forms of leave.
Department Heads may grant special leave to employees for such purposes and during such periods and subject to such conditions as are specified in the Award, included in this Section, or determined by the Director General, Department of Premier and Cabinet, from time to time.
Casual employees are not entitled to special leave.
6-18.8 Emergencies
6-18.8.1 Emergency volunteers and volunteer members of safety organisations
Employees who are volunteer members of the:
- Bushwalkers Federation;
- Cave Rescue Association;
- NSW Volunteer Fire Brigade;
- Public Service Support Group;
- Rural Fire Services;
- State Emergency Services;
- Volunteer Coastal Patrol;
- Volunteer Rescue Association of NSW (or affiliated groups); or
- Wireless Institute Civil Emergency Network;
may be granted special leave of up to 5 days in any period of 12 months for the purpose of assisting as volunteers in one of these organisations.
6-18.8.2 Declared emergencies
If a situation arises requiring a major operational response, or an emergency is declared under section 44 of the Rural Fires Act 1997, under other relevant legislation or by the Premier, employees who volunteer to assist are granted special leave with no upper limit. Leave granted under this clause does not count towards the 5 day upper limit specified in 6-18.8.1 Emergency volunteers and volunteer members of safety organisations
6-18.8.3 Proof of attendance at emergencies
An application for leave must be accompanied by a statement from the local or Divisional Controller, the Fire Controller, Deputy Fire Controller or the Police, certifying the times of attendance. The leave application should indicate the period and area of attendance together with the name of the organisation to which the volunteer member belongs.
For people covered by FWA:
http://www.fairwork.gov.au/leave/community-service-leave/pages/default.aspx
Factsheet attached for volunteers.
