Flexible Work Options For Our People

Purpose and Context

UWS recognises and values the contributions staff make in order to enable the University to attain its goals.

Due to the age demographic of staff within Australian universities, it is acknowledged that within the next five to ten years, a large number of staff will wish to retire or change their work profile in some form. The UWS staff age demographic aligns to this challenge.  It is therefore imperative that the University takes steps actively now to provide flexible late career transitioning options for these staff, to assist them in decision making at that time of change and to assist the University in its workforce and succession planning programs. The University also recognises that staff may have family responsibilities that require accommodation under a flexible working arrangement.  Whilst the University already has a successful flexi time program in place for general staff to manage their time across a 28 day period and makes flexible hours of work available to all employees subject to operational requirements, staff who are a parent of a child who is under school age or a child with a disability under the age of 18 years also have the right to request a flexible working arrangement. 

Workforce succession planning, and retention of corporate knowledge, therefore become crucial elements in the overall UWS staffing strategy. So too does the necessity to develop options to retain mature workforce expertise and knowledge, and therein lies the need to provide flexible options for staff to transition through the latter stages in their career.

The primary objectives of the flexible staffing options are to:

  • provide a variety of options to assist staff in their late career transitioning;
  • provide those staff who have family commitments with an option to structure their annual work cycle to enable them to manage better their commitments; and 
  • provide the University with strategies to manage succession planning and retain valued staff in a variety of ways whilst planning future workforce alignment requirements.

Principles

The overarching principles  of these initiatives recognise the importance of:

  • staff retention in an increasingly dynamic workforce;
  • knowledge management programs for all business processes;
  • the personal, professional and sometimes economic issues for staff approaching retirement and considering late career transitioning options;
  • ensuring  discussions, options and agreements are fostered in a manner to facilitate succession planning for the University as well as provide support to the individual staff member; and
  • managers taking into consideration business requirements when considering the options available to the staff member.

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Transitioning to fractional appointment with full-time superannuation benefit for a fixed period

Available to Academic and General staff

1 Context
The University recognises that there may come a time when staff may wish to move from existing full-time to part-time work as part of a plan towards their retirement. 

Arrangements approved under the application of these guidelines will provide individual staff members with the means to ease towards retirement whilst maintaining full superannuation benefits. The subsequent retention of their skills, wisdom, knowledge and experience can be utilised by the University for supporting teaching, student learning, research and the mentoring of new staff.  The gradual transition of existing staff into retirement will also help facilitate succession planning and institutional regeneration.

Staff aged 52 and over may apply to reduce their work profile to a fractional appointment of between 0.5 fte and 0.8 fte and continue to pay their employee superannuation contribution at 7% of the full-time salary rate and continue to receive the employer superannuation contribution at 17% of the full-time salary rate. 

2 Eligibility and conditions

  • Transitioning to an alternative work profile via a change to fractional appointment with superannuation incentive benefit will be available to ongoing staff who are aged 52 and over at the time of entering into the contract.
  • Management reserves the right to accept or decline any application.
  • Staff should discuss their application with their manager in the first instance and have further discussions as necessary with their Director/Executive Dean/Head of School/Deputy Vice-Chancellor  to discuss their possible application.
  • The University retains the right to negotiate and to determine the fractional work profile with each staff member.
  • Transitioning to an alternative work profile via a change to fractional appointment with superannuation incentive benefit may be approved for a maximum of 3 years.

3 Exclusions
Staff on fixed-term contracts and staff on casual contracts are ineligible.  All senior management staff are ineligible (VC, DVC, PVC, ED, AD, HoS, Directors).

4 Process
4.1 Application
In the first instance, staff considering applying for a reduction in their work profile to fractional hours with superannuation incentive benefit must discuss their application with their manager. Requests should then be made in writing, nominating the preferred date to commence the new work profile, the fractional work profile sought and the length of time for the new profile to be worked, to the staff member’s Director, DVC, PVC or to the staff member’s Head of School or Director of Research Centre who will refer it to the Executive Dean. 

4.2 Approval
The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and Research) has the authority to approve applications for change to fractional contracts with superannuation incentive benefit.  Applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application within 3 weeks of the date of lodgement of their application with the Office of People and Culture.

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Late career transitioning via post-retirement contract

Available to Academic and General staff

1 Context
A post retirement contract allows staff who have decided upon a retirement date to return to work post retirement on an agreed contract.  Negotiating a post-retirement contract allows staff to access their full superannuation benefit whilst remaining in the workforce for an agreed period of time.

The option is open to application by ongoing full-time and part-time members of staff who are eligible for a superannuation pension or part pension at time of application.

This option enables staff to also nominate a reduction in their working hours if they so wish (eg full time to 0.8).

 2 Eligibility and conditions

  • Applications may be made by all ongoing staff who, if their application is approved, will be aged at least 55 at the time their post-retirement contract commences.
  • Management reserves the right to accept or decline any application.
  • The University retains the right to negotiate the post retirement contract conditions.
  • Staff should discuss their application with their manager in the first instance and have further discussions as necessary with their Director/Executive Dean/Head of School/Deputy Vice-Chancellor  to discuss their possible application.
  • Post-retirement contracts may be approved for a maximum of 5 years.
  • Existing superannuation arrangements would cease at the agreed retirement date.
  • Any long service leave and annual leave accrual will be paid out as at the agreed retirement date.

3 Exclusions
Staff on fixed-term contracts and staff on casual contracts are ineligible.  All senior management staff are ineligible (VC, DVC, PVC, ED, AD, HoS, Directors).

4 Process
4.1 Application
In the first instance, staff considering applying for a post-retirement contract must discuss their application with their manager.

Requests are then to be made in writing, nominating the proposed length of the new contract [up to a maximum of 5 years ] to their Director, DVC, PVC or to the staff member’s Head of School or Director of Research Centre who will refer it to the Executive Dean. 

4.2 Approval
The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and Research) has the authority to approve applications.  Applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application within 3 weeks of the date of lodgement of their application with the Office of People and Culture.

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Late career transitioning via post-retirement contract on fractional appointment with full-time superannuation benefit

Available to Academic and General staff

1 Context
A post-retirement contract allows staff who have decided upon a retirement date to return to work post-retirement on an agreed contract.  Negotiating a post-retirement contract allows staff to access their full superannuation benefit whilst remaining in the workforce for an agreed period of time.

A post-retirement contract on fractional appointment with full-time superannuation benefit allows a staff member to access their full superannuation benefit and remain in the workforce for a specified period of time on a fractional appointment, yet continue to pay into full time superannuation  at 7% of the full-time salary rate under the terms of their new fractional appointment contract.  The University will also pay the full-time employer superannuation contribution at 17% of the full-time salary rate for a period of up to 3 years. 

The option is open to application by ongoing members of staff who are eligible for a superannuation pension or part pension at time of application.

2 Eligibility and conditions

  • Applications may be made by all ongoing staff who, if their application is approved, will be aged at least 55 at the time their post-retirement contract commences.
  • Management reserves the right to accept or decline any application.
  • The University retains the right to negotiate the post-retirement contract conditions
  • Staff should discuss their application with their manager in the first instance and have further discussions as necessary with their Director/Executive Dean/Head of School/Deputy Vice-Chancellor  to discuss their possible application.
  • Post-retirement contracts may be approved for a maximum of 5 years.
  • Existing superannuation arrangements would cease at the agreed retirement date.
  • Any long service leave and annual leave accrual will be paid out as at the agreed retirement date.

3 Exclusions
Staff on fixed-term contracts and staff on casual contracts are ineligible.  All senior management staff are ineligible (VC, DVC, PVC, ED, AD, HoS, Directors).

4 Process
4.1 Application
In the first instance, staff considering applying for a post-retirement contract must discuss their application with their manager.  Requests are then to be made in writing, nominating the proposed length of the new contract [up to a maximum of 5 years] to their Director, DVC, PVC or to the staff member’s Head of School or Director of Research Centre who will refer it to the Executive Dean. 

4.2 Approval
The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic and Research) has the authority to approve applications.  Applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application within 3 weeks of the date of lodgement of their application with the Office of People and Culture.

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Further Assistance

General Advice
Further general advice on the above initiatives is available by contacting your HR Business Partner or HR Advisor.

EAP
Staff are reminded that the Employee Assistance Program is available should they feel the need to discuss aspects relating to their application to participate in late career transitioning options.

Superannuation Information
Staff from the Office of People and Culture are unable to provide advice on individual superannuation entitlements or arrangements  etc. Staff contemplating a retirement option  should contact their superannuation fund to arrange for a consultation to discuss their individual needs. UniSuper advice can be obtained by phoning UniSuper Advice 1300 331 685 (local call cost).

Financial Advice/Information
Staff are reminded that staff from the Office of People and Culture or any other UWS staff member are unable to provide advice on financial matters. Staff requiring financial advice pertaining to consideration of retirement options should seek external independent advice.

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