C2010-41 Guidelines for Implementation of the Rural and Remote Incentive Scheme

Keypoints

• The Rural and Remote Incentive Scheme applies to human services and justice agencies and will allow Chief Executives the discretion to offer incentives to assist with attraction and retention of employees in relation to hard-to-fill positions in rural and remote locations.
• The DPE can approve other agencies participating in the Scheme if there is a compelling case and subject to the agency applying the scheme in identical terms.
• Incentives paid under the Scheme are to be funded from existing agency budgets.

The Rural and Remote Incentive Scheme applies to human services and justice agencies and will allow Chief Executives the discretion to offer incentives to assist with attraction and retention of employees in relation to hard-to-fill positions in rural and remote locations.

Participating agencies include: Department of Human Services, Department of Health (including the Area Health Services and NSW Ambulance Service), Department of Education and Training, Department of Justice & Attorney General, NSW Police Force, Rural Fire Service (including Emergency Management NSW) and State Emergency Service.

Key features of the Rural and Remote Incentive Scheme include that Chief Executives of human services and justice agencies have discretion to:

• Apply the compensations within the Crown Employees (Public Service Conditions of Employment) Award 2009 for isolation and high cost of living to employees who are covered by other awards.
• Extend benefits now available only to employees indefinitely stationed in rural and remote locations to employees temporarily stationed in the rural and remote location.
• Tailor incentive packages up to a maximum of $10,000 value per annum per employee.
• Under some circumstances, packages of more than $10,000 may be approved by the Director of Public Employment (DPE), or the Commissioner of Police for police officers, as appropriate.

Other conditions include:

• The DPE can approve other agencies participating in the Scheme if there is a compelling case and subject to the agency applying the scheme in identical terms.
• The DPE can approve of positions being deemed ‘rural and remote’.
• Incentives paid under the Scheme are to be funded from existing agency budgets.
• Apart from individual arrangements, the incentives are prohibited from becoming general conditions of employment.
• Employees undertaking a term appointment in a rural or remote location have a right of return to their substantive position.
• A public sector employee whose partner undertakes a term appointment in a rural or remote location can seek leave without pay for five years to accompany their partner, with a right of return to their substantive position.
• Participating agencies are to report 6 monthly on use of the scheme, which will be reviewed every 3 years by the DPE.

The Guidelines are attached and will also be placed on the Department of Premier and Cabinet website at www.dpc.nsw.gov.au under Public Sector Employment Pay and Conditions. Enquiries concerning this circular may be directed to your agency client contact officer in the Industrial Relations Unit, Public Sector Workforce Branch.

Brendan O’Reilly
Director General

Which agencies does this Circular apply to?
Participating agencies include: Department of Human Services, Department of Health (including the Area Health Services and NSW Ambulance Service), Department of Education and Training, Department of Justice & Attorney General, NSW Police Force, Rural Fire Service (including Emergency Management NSW) and State Emergency Service.

Who needs to know about this Circular?
Managers and employees of those agencies above.

Further information
Colleen Herisson, Senior Industrial Relations Advisor, 9228 3527 or [email protected]

Issued by

Industrial Relations Unit, Public Sector Workforce in the Department of Premier and Cabinet

Contact

Colleen Herisson – 9228 3527 or [email protected]

Date

13 December 2010

This Circular has not superseded any Circular.