Answers to Questions

Annual Leave

103 The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (3 December 2014). (First Session)

For each Department or Agency then reporting to the Treasurer—

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): The Treasurer has been advised that—

1. The estimated annual leave liability for the Department of Treasury and Finance as at 30 June 2014 is 9,920 days and $3,699,000.

2. The highest annual leave entitlement that has not been taken for any employee within the Department of Treasury and Finance as at 30 June 2014 is 71.6 days and $45,006.

3. (a) The Department of Treasury and Finance advises there is no specific cash allocation held separately to fund outstanding annual leave liabilities.

(b) The Department of Treasury and Finance advises its operations are funded from the Treasury and Finance Operating Account. As at 30 June 2014 this account held funds totalling $13,723,000.

4. (a) The Department of Treasury and Finance has issued a Deferral of Recreation Leave policy which outlines the department's position with regard to the deferral and management of annual leave.

The policy states that recreation leave must be applied for and granted so that the employee's recreation leave entitlement for a service year is taken before the end of the following service year. This means the maximum balance held at any one time should not exceed 2 years entitlement. Twice a year, March and October, the Human Resources section provides all DTF branches with a listing of all employees that have an annual leave balance in excess of 225 hours (including the adjusted hours for part time employees). This listing is used to assist DTF branches with monitoring and managing excess annual leave and to enable them to develop leave management plans to reduce employee annual leave balances in accordance with the policy.

(b) All DTF employees are required to have an annual leave management plan when their annual leave balance exceeds 225 hours (including part time equivalent hours). The annual leave management plan outlines how and when their annual leave balance will be reduced below 225 hours.