Annual Leave

100 The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (3 December 2014). (First Session) For each Department or Agency then reporting to the Minister—

1. What is the estimated annual leave liability as at 30 June 2014 in days and dollars?

2. What is the highest annual leave entitlement that has not been taken for any employee, as at 30 June 2014, in days and dollars?

3.

(a) What funding, as at 30 June 2014, was held in accounts controlled or administered by the Department or Agency to fund annual leave; and

(b) What were the names of the accounts and total funds held in these accounts as at 30 June 2014?

4.

(a) What policies, and monitoring of these policies, are in place to ensure that there is not a build up of annual leave liability within the Department or Agency; and

(b) Are employees required to take annual leave after a certain level of entitlement has accrued?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers): I am advised:

1. The estimated annual leave liability for the former Department of Further Education, Employment Science and Technology (DFEEST) as at 30 June 2014 is 8,614 days and $3,223,135.

The estimated annual leave liability for Consumer and Business Services as at 30 June 2014 was approximately $1.07 million. This represents around 4,812 days.

The Office for Women (OFW) is located as part of the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion, which has responded separately through both the Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion and the Minister for Disabilities.

2. The highest annual leave entitlement that has not been taken for an employee from DFEEST as at 30 June 2014 based on number of days was 60 days, equating to $23,067.

The highest annual leave entitlement not taken for an employee in Consumer and Business Services as at 30 June 2014 was approximately 45 days. This equates to approximately $13,637.

3.

(a) As reported in the Auditor-General's Annual report for 2013-2014, DFEEST held $41.6 million in a special deposit account with the Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF) as at 30 June 2014. Deposits with the Treasurer may only be used in accordance with the Treasurer's approval. The special deposit account is for general operating expenses, including the payment of long service leave and annual leave expenses.

Consumer and Business Services, does not have a separate fund managed to cover annual leave costs, however there is an accrual appropriation excess funds account maintained by the Department of Treasury and Finance which can be accessed by agencies to fund leave entitlements.

(b) As at 30 June 2014, DFEEST held a total $41.6 million in cash or cash equivalents. This amount was held in an account named 'special deposit account with DTF.

As at 30 June 2014, the balance of the accrual appropriation excess funds account for the Attorney-General's Department was $12.40 million. Consumer and Business Services is a division within the Attorney-General's Department, however the accrual appropriation excess funds are not split by division.

4.

(a) The former DFEEST had a policy of monitoring annual leave accrual.

The Attorney-General's Department has a policy regarding leave and leave entitlements.

(b) The former DFEEST had a policy that, the maximum balance allowed was 6 weeks or 30 days and staff accruing over 20 days leave were required to submit a plan to their manager of their intended proposal to take this leave.

The Attorney-General's Department Leave Policy states that if an employee has accrued recreation leave in excess of their yearly entitlement (e.g. 150 hours for full time employees), the manager will proactively manage the balance so that the employee's leave entitlement is accessed and reduced to the equivalent of one year's entitlement before their next service year begins.

Employees must seek approval to defer accrued recreation leave to another service year where the accrued entitlement is greater than 150 hours for a full time employee as at their service year end date.