• Section 1 - Purpose
• Section 2 - Policy
• Section 3 - Procedures
• Personal Leave
• Excessive Absenteeism
• Reasonable Accommodation
• Moving to a New Residence
• Section 4 - Guidelines
• Section 5 - Definitions

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) The purpose of this Procedure is to detail the principles related to all types of personal leave, including Special Leave and leave without pay.

(2) The Leave - Personal Leave Policy provides information for all staff members to establish their eligibility and entitlement to personal leave.

Section 2 - Policy

(3) Refer to the Leave - Personal Leave Policy. 

Section 3 - Procedures

(4) This Procedure requires actions by the following:

1. Human Resources Officer;
2. Medical Certificate Officer;
3. Staff member; and
4. Supervisor.

Personal Leave

Staff Member

(5) Notify:

1. Notify your supervisor (or other authorised person) within your work unit as soon as practicable, indicating:
   1. the reason(s) for your absence; and
   2. the estimated duration of your absence.
2. If due to illness, you leave work without notifying your supervisor, you must notify them at the earliest opportunity.
3. In either of the above circumstances, if you need to extend the original notified absence, you must do so as soon as practicable.

(6) Apply:

1. Apply for personal leave (as soon as practicable) by submitting an application via HR Online. If HR Online is unavailable or inaccessible, staff members should notify their supervisor to discuss alternative arrangements.

Supervisor

(7) Review personal leave application:

1. Receive notification (via email from HR Online) of the staff member’s application. Review the personal leave application and supporting documentation to ensure accuracy and consistency with University policy.
2. In consultation with the staff member, address and resolve any problems identified in the application.
3. Make a decision about the staff member’s leave within five (5) days of receiving the application.

(8) Approve:

1. Approve request via HR Online. HR Online notifies the staff member via e-mail that the leave has been approved.

(9) Decline:

1. Decline request via HR Online. HR Online notifies the staff member via email that the leave has been declined. The leave will then need to be processed as annual leave or leave without pay. Discuss the reason for the decision with the staff member.

(10) Payment:

1. Pending the receipt of a completed HR Online application, and supporting documentation, you may instruct Human Resources (HR) to suspend payments to the staff member.
2. In circumstances where a personal leave request has been declined, you may instruct HR to process the leave as annual leave or leave without pay.

(11) Supporting documentation:

1. Send the medical certificate to the Medical Certificate Officer within the Faculty / Office.

Medical Certificate Officer

(12) File all medical certificates in a secure area within the Faculty / Office.

Human Resources Officer

(13) Collect the medical certificates from the Medical Certificate Officers in February and August each year.

Excessive Absenteeism

Supervisor

(14) Where a staff member has a recent pattern of absences without supporting documentation, conduct an interview with the staff member. More than five (5) unsupported absences within a twelve (12) month period are sufficient to initiate an interview.

(15) Specify a period of time for improvement and advise the staff member that there may be consequences for continuing a pattern of unsupported absenteeism.

(16) Where a pattern or an increase in unsupported absences is identified, you may direct the staff member to provide supporting documentation for all absences for a specified and reasonable period of time.

(17) Where the staff member fails to provide supporting documentation for unsupported absenteeism, you may refer the matter to HR for assistance.

Reasonable Accommodation

Staff member

(18) Notify your supervisor in writing of your request for reasonable accommodation.

Supervisor

(19) Refer this matter to HR for assistance.

Human Resources Officer

(20) Liaise with the staff member, their supervisor and the treating medical practitioner(s) to obtain the relevant information necessary for the University to consider whether reasonable accommodation would be appropriate in the circumstances.

(21) For the purpose of releasing medical information directly to the University, you may ask the staff member to complete an Information Consent Form available from the Workplace Health and Safety unit. This information relates to the staff member’s request for reasonable accommodation in negotiation with the supervisor and treating medical professional(s).

(22) The staff member may change this authority at anytime by writing to HR, however the staff member’s request for reasonable accommodation may be affected.

(23) Upon receipt of the necessary and relevant medical information, arrange a meeting with the staff member, their supervisor and other relevant parties to discuss how the University may reasonably accommodate the staff member’s circumstance.

(24) In all cases, consider reasonable accommodation by taking account of the:

1. staff member’s circumstances; and
2. University’s operational requirements, including the capacity to ensure a duty of care for the health and safety of the staff member at the workplace.

(25) Where there is agreement, the parties document and sign the Reasonable Accommodation Agreement (RAA) to include the following:

1. references to the relevant supporting documentation;
2. review dates;
3. duration of the RAA;
4. hours / days of work;
5. rest breaks any physical limitations / restrictions of the staff member;
6. how the staff member will be paid during the period of the RAA; and
7. any other relevant information.

(26) Forward a copy of the RAA to the staff member’s medical practitioner for review and comment and maintain a copy on the staff member’s staff record.

(27) Provide a copy to the staff member and supervisor.

(28) Process wage and leave payments in accordance with the RAA.

Review

(29) Review the arrangements for reasonable accommodation frequently, until such time as the staff member has resumed full duties. The parties will apply the appropriate steps above, in the review process.

(30) Where reasonable accommodation is not appropriate or appears unlikely to assist the staff member to resume full duties, proceed under the provisions for termination on the grounds of illness in accordance with the Macquarie University Enterprise Agreements.

Moving to a New Residence

Staff Member

(31) Apply for moving leave (as soon as practicable) by submitting an application via HR Online. If HR Online is unavailable or inaccessible, staff members should notify their supervisor to discuss alternative arrangements.

(32) Update your residential address in HR Online.

Supervisor

(33) Review moving leave application:

1. Receive notification (via email from HR Online) of the staff member’s application. Review the moving leave application to ensure accuracy and consistency with the entitlement as described in the Leave - Personal Leave Policy.

(34) Approve:

1. Approve request via HR Online. HR Online notifies the staff member via email that the leave has been approved.

(35) Decline:

1. Decline request via HR Online. HR Online notifies the staff member via e-mail that the leave has been declined. The leave will then need to be processed as annual leave or leave without pay. Discuss the reason for the decision with the staff member.

Section 4 - Guidelines

(36) Nil.

Section 5 - Definitions

(37) Commonly defined terms are located in the University Glossary. Definitions specific to this Procedure are contained in the Leave - Personal Leave Policy.