An Olympic Attendance Allowance of $1.50 per hour will be paid to NSW public sector employees undertaking Olympic related services during the period 15 September 2000 to 1 October 2000 inclusive. The terms of the allowance, which have been negotiated with the NSW Labor Council and relevant unions, are set out in the attachment to this circular. The terms of the allowance differ from the initial offer advised to Chief Executive Officers in my letter of 2 June 2000.

Please note that the allowance applies only to:

• employees working at or in the vicinity of Olympic venues, at Olympic live sites or other locations designated by the employing organisation as the delivery point for services to the Olympics;
• employees required or directed to provide Olympic services when the sites are in operation; and
• employees whose working conditions have been significantly changed.

Employees who are reassigned under the Crown Employees (2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games Staff Reassignment) Award will be eligible for the allowance.

The allowance does not apply to:

• employees who have received some other form of additional Olympic related compensation for those duties;
• employees required to undertake a different role within their agency if the role is the normal work of the agency; or
• SOCOG volunteers, contractors or temporary staff engaged specifically to perform Olympic related duties.

The application of the allowance in some work locations, for example hospitals, will depend on whether or not employees in these locations undertake Olympic related activities. In these circumstances the application of the allowance will be considered after the games have been held.

Any inquiries on this matter can be directed to Mark Philip on telephone
(02) 9228 3573.

C. Gellatly
Director General

OLYMPIC ATTENDANCE ALLOWANCE

Terms
An allowance of $1.50 will be accrued for each paid hour worked (37.5 cents per quarter hour) by each employee who is required or directed to provide services to Olympic venues or live sites when they are in operation and whose working conditions have been significantly changed. The allowance applies only to staff working at or in the vicinity of Olympic venues, at Olympic live sites or other locations designated by the employing organisation as the delivery point for services to the Olympics. The accrued monies will be paid to the employees on completion of all of the employee's allocated shifts worked during the period 15 September 2000 to 1 October 2000 inclusive.

The payment of the attendance allowance will be in accordance with the following:

Number of Allocated Percentage of Attendance
Shifts Completed Allowance Payable
_______________________________________________________ 
Greater than 95% 100 
Greater than 85% but less than 95% 75 
Greater than 75% but less than 85% 50 
Less than 75% 0
_______________________________________________________

The allowance will not be paid to any employee who has received some other form of additional Olympic related special compensation for those duties. This allowance will not be paid to SOCOG Volunteers nor to contractors, or temporary staff engaged specifically to perform Olympic related duties. The allowance will not apply to staff who are required to undertake a different role within their agency if such role is the normal work of the agency.

Dispute Resolution Mechanism

• Agencies should as far as possible identify prior to the Games work areas which will attract the allowance.
• Agencies should advise unions of the outcome of (i) and consult further where required.
• All grievances and disputes relating to the application of this allowance shall initially be dealt with at the agency level.
• A staff member, at any stage, may request to be represented by their union.
• The agency shall consider the issue as soon as practicable and provide a response within two (2) weeks of the matter being brought to attention.
• If the matter remains unresolved, the Chief Executive shall provide a written response to the staff member and union if applicable of the reasons for not applying the allowance in the particular circumstance.
• The matter may be referred to a Joint Consultative Group, represented by the NSW Premier's Department and the Labor Council, for resolution.
• The staff member, union, Labor Council, agency and Premier's Department shall agree to be bound by any resolution by the Joint Consultative Group in relation to the matter.
• In considering cases for the application of the allowance, the Joint Consultative Group may take into account the actual service provided to the operations of the Games as well as the following issues:
  • changes to roster and shifts arrangements;
  • restrictions on the taking of leave;
  • the development of on-call rosters;
  • changes in usual work locations;
  • the intensity of workplace changes; and
  • any other relevant issues.

Whilst the procedures outlined in this clause are being followed, normal work undertaken prior to notification of the dispute or difficulty shall continue.