5.6 Community Service Leave

Purpose

Community Service Leave provides leave for civic duties including:

• jury service;

• court appearances (where the employee has been subpoenaed to appear as a witness for the Crown);

• firefighting and emergency assistance;

• volunteer in a Governmental declared state of emergency;

• leave to contest elections;

• blood donation;

• attendance at arbitration proceedings; and

• community service contributions including representation at major cultural, social and sporting events. Community Service Leave may also be utilised to participate in activities relating to the Mission of the University.

Employees will be entitled to ten (10) days per annum of Community Service Leave on full pay. However, additional time may be granted by the University on provision of appropriate certification attesting the need for such service. Community Service Leave is not cumulative.

Emergency Services Leave: An employee who is a member of any voluntary organisation (e.g. a rural fire service or state emergency service in their state or territory) and who is called upon by the Government or a competent, relevant authority under a state of emergency, State emergency plan or State disaster management plan (or equivalent) to assist in fire-fighting or other forms of emergency assistance (including auxiliary operations) is entitled to up to twenty (20) days of paid leave for the duration of their participation. This is provided that the employee’s services are required by the voluntary organisation or other recognised authority concerned, and this can be confirmed in writing by the Government or authority.

An employee granted Community Service Leave for emergency service activity is entitled to a further one day’s leave on completion of the service for the purpose of recovering from such activity.

An employee who receives payment in relation to any activity for which community service leave has been granted will forward this payment to the University. In such circumstances the employee may retain any out-of-pocket expenses associated with travel and subsistence.

Jury Service Leave: A continuing or fixed-term employee who is required to attend court for the purpose of jury service and upon providing proof of attendance will be granted paid leave for the period necessary for such service, in which case the employee must forward to the University any fees (other than reimbursement of expenses) received for jury service. Where an employee takes paid Jury Service Leave and fails to forward the fees to the University, the period of their absence for jury service will be treated as Leave Without Pay, and any Salary paid for the period of absence will be repayable to the University.

If Community Service Leave is taken during a period of authorised paid leave (e.g. annual, long service leave), the period of authorised leave in question will be re-credited to the employee subject to the University being furnished with evidence of community service.

Casual employees are entitled to up to ten (10) days per annum of unpaid Community Service Leave (including unpaid leave for Jury Service).