Memorandum 2002-1 - Leave For Staff Affected By The Bushfire Emergency enabled staff who assisted the emergency services to be granted special leave on full pay for the time they were absent from duty.

The Memorandum was silent on the issue of re-crediting leave such as annual leave or parental leave for employees who assisted the emergency services.

Memorandum 2002-01 was clearly not intended to penalise staff on approved leave who were called out to assist emergency services during this period.

Schedule 1 Departments under the Public Sector Management Act 1988 are advised to re-credit leave for staff called out to assist in the Christmas 2001 bush fire emergency on application, subject to proof of attendance certified by an authorised representative of the emergency service to which the staff member was attached.

Chief Executive Officers of other public sector organisations are urged to extend similar concessions to all affected employees in their organisation in accordance with the flexible approach to applying leave provisions encouraged in Memorandum 2002-1.

To allow the re-crediting of the approved leave, special leave should be granted to staff retrospectively for the period of their voluntary work.

Staff who were on approved flex leave or banked flex days and can also demonstrate they were volunteers called out to assist the emergency services may also apply to have their flex leave or banked flex days re-credited on a similar basis.

Arrangements may need to be made concerning annual leave loading payments affected by any re-crediting of leave.

Any inquiries should be directed to Dominique Hansen on 9228 3617.

C. Gellatly
Director-General

Issued (Branch): PSMO
Contact: Dominique Hansen
EMail: [email protected]
Telephone no: (02)9228 3617
File no: PSM/01564

This circular should be read in conjunction with Memorandum 2002-01