The following leave arrangements are to apply over the Christmas and New Year period 2007/8: 1. Agencies are to maximise leave taken over the Christmas/New Year period Premiers Memorandum 2007-05, issued on 14 June 2007, requested that Ministers and Chief Executives maximise leave taken by non front line public sector employees over the Christmas/New Year Period.  This period commences on Christmas Day and includes the first week of January 2008.Arrangements must comply with relevant industrial instruments. 2. Public Holidays The Christmas and New Year public holidays for New South Wales are: Tuesday 25 December 2007 - Christmas Day Wednesday 26 December 2007 - Boxing Day Tuesday 1 January 2008 - New Years Day 3. The Public Service Holiday Public service employees, subject to provisions in enterprise arrangements, who are not entitled to a union picnic day or some other special day, such as the Tuesday after Easter or local holidays, are entitled to a public service holiday during the period between Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Department Heads, in accordance with clause 19(a)(3) of the Crown Employees (Public Service Conditions of Employment) Reviewed Award 2006 (the Award), are to determine which day will be observed as the public service holiday in their agency. Employees directed to work on the day determined as the public service holiday are entitled to be absent from duty on one of the other working day between Boxing Day and New Years Day. Unless otherwise provided for in enterprise arrangements: Employees directed to work on all of the working days between Boxing Day and New Years Day are entitled to be paid overtime at the public holiday rate for work performed on the day determined as the public service holiday for the agency, in accordance with the Award. Shift workers (as defined in the Award) are to receive the public holiday provisions set out in Clause 88 of the Award for the day observed as the public service holiday in their agency. Part time employees are entitled to be absent on the public service holiday and receive ordinary pay if they would normally have worked on that day.  Those who do not normally work on that day are not entitled to compensation. 4. Concessional Leave Employees may be granted a half day concessional leave on the afternoon of Monday 24 December 2007 or Monday 31 December 2007, subject to operational requirements and attendance at work on the morning that the leave is granted. The conditions for granting and taking of the leave are set out in Part 6-6 of the Personnel Handbook.  Any enquiries regarding the above should be directed to your Employment Relations Adviser, Public Sector Workforce Office. Robyn KrukDirector General Issued : Public Sector Workforce Office, Workforce Policy and AdviceContact:  Julie Gordon Email:  [email protected] Telephone no:  9228 3179     Facsimile: 9228 4056    File no:  PSM/00735 Pt 1Date:  24 October 2007