• Section 1 - Purpose and Scope
• Section 2 - Process and Key Controls
• Section 3 - Key Requirements
• Attendance
• Flexible Working Hours
• Overtime
• Section 4 - Roles, Responsibilities and Accountabilities
• Professional Staff HEW Level 1 – 7
• Professional Staff HEW Level 8 and Above
• Authorised Officers
• Section 5 - Monitoring, Review and Assurance
• Section 6 - Recording and Reporting
• Section 7 - Appendix

Section 1 - Purpose and Scope

(1) This Procedure outlines the process at The University of Queensland (UQ) for Professional staff attendance, hours of work (including flexible hours) and overtime.

(2) This Procedure applies to all Professional staff (fixed term and continuing) covered by University of Queensland Enterprise Agreement 2021-2026 (Enterprise Agreement), excluding casual staff and shift workers.

Section 2 - Process and Key Controls

(3) UQ is committed to ensuring operational requirements are met through the effective management of staff workloads however, there may be a requirement for staff to work reasonable overtime.

(4) The key controls to effectively manage the attendance, hours of work (including flexible hours), and overtime processes at UQ includes:

1. Staff (HEW 1 – 7) must regularly record and submit an accurate record of attendance including the hours worked and any leave taken.
2. Flexible working hours arrangements should be reviewed every 12 months at a minimum, or more often as agreed.
3. Overtime (including time off in-lieu of overtime) must be pre-approved and where worked, will be paid consistent with the occupational category and HEW classification level at which they performed the work as specified in the Enterprise Agreement.

Section 3 - Key Requirements

Attendance

(5) A full-time staff member (HEW Level 1 -7) is required to work a standard work day (e.g. 7 hours and 15 minutes) consistent with the occupational category to which they are employed, as outlined in the Enterprise Agreement. Part time staff are required to work the hours stated in the Offer of Appointment or variation. Staff work patterns will be within 15-minute intervals, with the exception of professional staff employed under Schedule 7 of the Enterprise Agreement – Heron Island Research Station, and Schedule 10 – Customs House Schedule. 

(6) Casual staff are also excluded and are paid for hours worked.

Professional Staff HEW Level 1-7

(7) Professional staff (HEW Level 1 – 7) are required to record their attendance at work unless they are travelling or performing work away from UQ.

(8) Staff must regularly record and submit an accurate record of the hours worked and any leave taken to the Authorised Officer (specified in the Human Resources Sub-delegations Instrument) on a fortnightly basis in accordance with the requirements of the Organisational Unit.

(9) A staff member (HEW Level 1 – 7) is required to work within the span of hours consistent with the occupational category to which they are employed. The standard spread of hours, maximum work hours per week, and notice requirements to vary commencing and ceasing times per occupational category, are outlined in the Enterprise Agreement.

Professional Staff HEW Level 8 and above

(10) There is no fixed span of hours for staff HEW Level 8 and above, unless specified within the Enterprise Agreement and there is no requirement to record hours of work.

Flexible Working Hours

(11) In accordance with the Enterprise Agreement, a staff member (HEW Level 1 - 7) may work flexible working hours (work patterns) in lieu of the standard hours of work where mutually agreed between the Authorised Officer (specified in the HR Sub-delegations Instrument) and the staff member.

(12) A staff member (HEW Level 1 - 7) may work the following flexible working hours subject to approval by the Authorised Officer:

1. 9 day fortnight (incorporating a 4.5 day week)
2. 19 day month
3. Flexi-time
4. Voluntary Banked Time (VBT).

(13) These available options are outlined in clause 69.5 of the Enterprise Agreement and the Flexible Work Policy. Certain staff members have the ‘right to request’ a flexible work arrangement in accordance with the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).

(14) In some Organisational Units it is not possible for all staff to have flexible working hours because of the nature of the work or the structure of the Organisational Unit.

(15) Flexi-time or VBT arrangements should only be used where there is a genuine requirement for the staff member to work additional hours in order to meet a peak in workload, or to assist a staff member to balance their work commitments and personal circumstances where it is of mutual benefit to the Organisation Unit and the staff member.

Flexi-time Arrangements

(16) A staff member (HEW Level 1 - 7) on a Flexi-time arrangement may accumulate a maximum of 4 hours of Flexi-time in any one (1) week period.

(17) A staff member (HEW Level 1 - 7) on Flexi-time arrangement should only carry over from one fortnight to the next, a maximum Flex-time balance of 7 hours 15 minutes (one standard day), unless pre-approved by the Authorised Officer.

(18) In exceptional circumstances, a staff member (HEW Level 1 - 7) that receives pre-approval by the Authorised Officer to accumulate flexi-time in excess of these rules, may have the hours in excess counted as:

1. VBT by mutual agreement; or
2. Overtime, subject to pre-approval by the Authorised Officer prior to the work being performed.

Voluntary Banked Time Arrangements

(19) A staff member (HEW Level 1 - 7) may work up to 9 hours a day within their span of hours on a VBT arrangement. A staff member (HEW Level 1 - 7) may accumulate a maximum of 9 hours VBT credit in any one (1) week period.

(20) A staff member (HEW Level 1 - 7) working on a VBT arrangement should not accumulate a VBT balance in excess of 36 ¼ hours, unless pre-approved by the Authorised Officer.

(21) VBT must be taken within six (6) months of accrual, unless otherwise agreed by the Authorised Officer.

(22) In exceptional circumstances, a staff member (HEW Level 1 - 7) who receives pre-approval by the Authorised Officer to accumulate VBT in excess of these rules prior to the work being performed, may have the hours in excess of these rules counted as overtime.

Cessation of Employment

(23) A staff member (HEW Level 1 - 7) who is being appointed to a position in another Organisational Unit or ceasing their employment at UQ should arrange with the Authorised Officer to take any Flexi-time or VBT hours before the last day of employment in that position.

(24) In exceptional circumstances where it is impractical for the staff member (HEW Level 1 - 7) to take accrued Flexi-time or VBT hours, the Head of the Organisational Unit may give consideration to paying out a staff member’s accrued Flexi-time or VBT balances upon cessation of employment with UQ, in consultation with Human Resources Division.

Overtime

Professional Staff

(25) Professional staff (HEW Level 1-7):

1. May be required to work reasonable overtime and are paid for all work performed in excess of their ordinary working hours or outside of their spread of hours as outlined in the Enterprise Agreement.
2. All overtime must be pre-approved by the Authorised Officer (specified in the Human Resources Sub-delegations Instrument) prior to the work being performed. Wherever practicable, staff will be given 24 hours’ notice of a request to work overtime. 
3. Where overtime is required, the Authorised Officer approving the overtime (specified in the Human Resources Sub-delegations Instrument), will give consideration to the staff member’s personal circumstances on a case-by-case basis to ensure that the request to work overtime is reasonable. Staff may decline a request to work additional hours if the additional hours are unreasonable.

(26) Professional staff (HEW Level 8 and above) may be required to perform reasonable overtime in accordance with the provisions of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth). In some circumstances, and by prior agreement, staff may receive payment for overtime worked in accordance with the Enterprise Agreement.

Time Off-In-Lieu (TOIL)

(27) Professional staff (HEW Level 1 - 7) may request to take TOIL instead of receiving an overtime payment for an approved period of overtime, subject to approval by the Authorised Officer (specified in the Human Resources Sub-delegations Instrument).

(28) In accordance with the Enterprise Agreement, TOIL will be calculated at the value of the appropriate overtime rate applicable to the hours of overtime worked.

(29) Staff (HEW Level 1 - 7) may accumulate up to a maximum of five working days as TOIL at any time (pro-rata for part time staff).

(30) Staff who have accumulated TOIL must be afforded the opportunity to take it within 3 months from the time of accrual at a time mutually agreed between staff and the Authorised Officer (specified in the Human Resources Sub-delegations Instrument). 

(31) Where a staff member (HEW Level 1 - 7) requests to work outside the normal spread of hours, and this is agreed to by the Authorised Officer (specified in the Human Resources Sub-delegations Instrument), then overtime will not apply. Any such agreement/s must be in writing and retained by the Organisational Unit.

Recall to Campus

(32) Staff who are recalled to campus outside of working ordinary hours, will be paid at the prescribed overtime rate with a minimum payment of two hours’ work, provided that general assistant (trades), skilled trades assistant, or basic or advanced tradespersons engaged in the building trades will be entitled to a minimum payment of four hours’ work. The minimum payments are paid to compensate staff for travel time from their place of residence back to a UQ campus or location.

(33) Where staff are on-call and are recalled to campus, an on-call allowance is payable.

(34) Where UQ requires staff on call to undertake work, without the need to travel back to a UQ campus or location, the prescribed overtime rate will be paid for the actual time worked.

Meal Breaks During Overtime

(35) Professional staff (HEW Level 1 – 7) are required to take an unpaid lunch break of at least 30 minutes’ duration after five hours of continuous work, unless otherwise directed by their Supervisor. 

(36) Where staff are employed for at least six hours, they will be allowed an unpaid meal break of 45 minutes in accordance with the Enterprise Agreement.

(37) Where required by the Authorised Officer to work through their meal break, staff will be paid at double time until cessation of work or when the meal is taken.

Minimum Break between Periods of Duty

(38) Professional staff (HEW Level 1 - 7) who have worked overtime will be given a minimum break of ten hours between the end of one period of duty and the beginning of the next. Where staff (HEW Level 1 - 7) are required to resume work without having a ten hour break off duty, they will be entitled to be absent from duty without loss of pay until a ten hour break has been taken, or be paid double time until released from duty.

Additional UQ Work/ Multiple UQ Positions

(39) Professional staff (HEW Level 1 – 7) who hold more than one part-time position are entitled to overtime for any time worked in excess of the maximum working hours per week as specified in the Enterprise Agreement.

(40) Overtime is not payable in the case of continuing or fixed-term staff who are engaged as casual staff to perform work at the same or different classification level that is separate to and unrelated to the staff member’s primary duties.

Section 4 - Roles, Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Professional Staff HEW Level 1 – 7

Attendance

(41) Professional staff must submit an accurate record of their hours worked (including pre-approved overtime) and any leave taken on the appropriate timesheet to the Authorised Officer (specified in the Human Resources Sub-delegations Instrument) on a fortnightly basis.

Flexible Working Hours

(42) Professional staff (HEW Level 1 -7) should discuss with their Supervisor and/or Authorised Officer a request to change their work pattern, access flexitime or VBT and then apply.

Overtime

(43) Claiming Overtime as Payment or TOIL:

1. All overtime must be pre-approved in accordance with the Human Resources Sub-delegations Instrument and recorded on a timesheet. Once overtime is worked, staff must make a claim for payment online.
2. Staff claiming overtime as TOIL will need to convert the hours worked as overtime into TOIL and then submit a request online to take TOIL.

(44) Travel at the Completion of Overtime:

1. A staff member (HEW Level 1 – 7) approved to work overtime will be eligible to receive reimbursement of reasonable travel costs incurred to travel home on the completion of overtime where the staff member’s usual means of transport is not available. A staff member (HEW Level 1 – 7) must seek pre-approval from the Authorised Officer for overtime to claim reasonable travel costs, unless exceptional circumstances apply.
2. Where UQ is able to provide suitable transport to the staff member (HEW Level 1 – 7) on completion of the overtime, UQ will not provide reimbursement for transport costs.

Professional Staff HEW Level 8 and Above

(45) Professional staff (HEW Level 8 and above) should discuss a request to change their hours of work, patterns of work, and any requirement to work overtime with the Authorised Officer (as specified in the Human Resources Sub-delegations Instrument).

Authorised Officers

Attendance

(46) The Authorised Officer is responsible for:

1. ensuring staff attendance is recorded in accordance with the requirements of the Organisational Unit; and
2. approving, timesheets and/or the records of attendance in a timely manner
3. ensuring records of leave or absences are also reflected accordingly in the relevant Human Capital Management System.

Flexible Working Hours

(47) The Authorised Officer is responsible for considering:

1. the staff member’s personal circumstances;
2. operational requirements; and
3. whether the request for flexible working hours has been made in accordance with Section 65, Division 4 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), as referenced in the Flexible Work Policy.

Overtime

(48) All requests for staff to work overtime must be reasonable, and consideration should be given to:

1. any recent overtime already performed by the staff member;
2. whether 24 hours’ notice was provided;
3. the length of the break between the cessation of overtime and the commencement of ordinary hours of work the next day;
4. the staff member’s personal circumstances, including family responsibilities;
5. any notice given by the staff member of their intention to refuse to work additional hours;
6. the nature of the staff member’s role, and their level of responsibility;
7. budget of the Organisational Unit;
8. operational requirements; and
9. any other relevant matters.

Section 5 - Monitoring, Review and Assurance

(49) The Chief Human Resources Officer is responsible for continuous monitoring on the effectiveness, application and improvement of this Procedure.

Section 6 - Recording and Reporting

(50) Recording and reporting for hours of work, overtime and recording attendance is completed in accordance with legislative and UQ requirements.

(51) Human Resources Division is responsible for retaining records in accordance with the Information Management Policy and procedures, and the Privacy Management Policy.

(52) Transactions and approvals referred to in this Procedure are recorded in the relevant Human Management Capital System.

Section 7 - Appendix