Self-Service Hints & Tips - 03
Leave Bookings
One of the major components built into ESS is the ability to submit/book leave requests online. Staff are able to make leave bookings for Sick Leave, Annual Leave, Compassionate Leave, Paternity Leave, Personal Leave, and UB Business/Travel. Please note that other types of leave (Leave without Pay, Maternity Leave, Work Cover Leave and Long Service Leave) are all unavailable in Self-Service. This is because these leave types have a more complex workflow and approval process. Please continue using the existing paper-based forms for these types of leave. For any leave type or leave circumstances you are unsure about, please contact payroll for assistance.
IMPORTANT – Selecting the correct Position
Some fixed-term/continuing employees have claimed that they do not see some of the leave types available when they create a new leave request on Self-Service. This in most cases is because they have not selected the correct position from the ‘Position’ drop-down menu. The user must first select their appropriate position. (An employee may have more than 1 position within the University. ie. A Casual position and also a full-time continuing position) Please note that even if you worked in a Casual position years ago, it may still appear on the list of positions. In many cases the position may only display the area in which you held the positions so please be careful selecting the correct one. For example, you could have 2 positions both called “School of SITE”, one being the casual position and the other, a full-time position. As Casuals are not entitled to annual leave, the full-time continuing position needs to be selected. Click on the Position drop-down menu and select the appropriate position.
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IMPORTANT – Selecting the correct Leave Type
It has been brought to our attention that many employees are selecting the incorrect leave type from the drop-down list. (when a new request is submitted by the user)
It is very important that the correct leave is chosen as this will minimise delays and errors in processing your request. If the wrong leave type is selected, in many cases your request will be ‘rejected’ by payroll and a new leave request must be re-submitted by the employee requesting the leave booking. The new request must then go through the same workflow process (to the relevant Supervisor/Manager for approval) then the next step is for payroll to check the request for final approval.
Below are some descriptions of each Leave type available in self-service. Please ensure you select the correct leave type that applies to the leave you are booking.
Annual Leave
Annual Leave is accumulated at 20 working days each year, or pro rata if you are employed on a part-time fraction. Your current leave balance can be viewed within self-service, enabling employees to keep track of their Annual Leave entitlements. Annual leave must be booked in hours and can be converted to the relevant day entitlement of 7.35 hours per day for General staff or 7.6 hours per day for TAFE Teaching and Academic staff. Please do not attempt to book leave in days as your request will be rejected. (All leave types must be booked in Hours)
Sick Leave
Sick Leave is also an available leave type to book on the self-service system. If you have a medical certificate please ensure you select ‘Medical Certificate’ on the Certificate drop-down menu when you create the leave request. Self-Service users now have the ability to attach documents to a new leave request on the system. This is particularly useful for sick leave bookings where the user can now attach a scanned, electronic copy of the medical certificate to a leave booking. This means that the employee submitting the leave booking, the Manager approving the booking and the Payroll team finalising the booking will all be able to view the attached Medical Certificate.
This new self-service ability will also be useful for any other type of leave which requires evidence or documentation before approval can be given.
Attachments will now speed up the approval process as the Payroll team will not need to wait for a hard copy or emailed copy of the medical certificate to be forwarded to them before making the final approval. (The payroll team must sight the Medical Certificate before actioning the request)
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This leave type should be selected for Additional Leave and Carers Leave.
If a staff member is required to provide care or support for a member of their immediate family or household due to personal illness or injury or an unexpected emergency they are entitled to five days paid carer's leave, within a 12 month period. Employees may also be granted up to five days additional leave with pay in a 12 month period. This leave may be used for, but is not limited to, the below circumstances:
• emergencies/unplanned events/family crisis (that do not qualify as carer's leave);
• ceremonial leave for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples;
• observance of religious/culturally significant days;
• caring for a child on a pupil-free day;
• moving house;
• medical, therapeutic or business appointments of a close relative or friend (who are not covered by the definition of immediate family or household member) who is dependent on the staff member for this particular appointment;
• leave to participate in major sporting competitions;
• leave to attend court proceedings;
• leave to donate blood;
• where a supervisor is of the opinion that a problem is adversely affecting an staff member's work performance, such as stress, alcohol or drug dependence, marriage/family matters, or compulsive gambling, paid personal leave may be granted to attend an approved rehabilitation program;
• other special circumstances as approved. TAFE teaching staff
On appointment, TAFE Teachers are entitled to a credit of 15 days personal leave on full pay. After the first year of service personal leave will accrue at the rate of 1.25 days per month. Such leave may be used for personal illness or injury or to provide care and support for a member of their family or household who is ill.
Compassionate Leave
Academic and General Staff
Academic and General Staff are entitled to a period of two days paid compassionate leave for each occasion to spend time with a member of their immediate family or household who develops a personal illness or sustains a personal injury that poses a serious threat to his or her life; or after the death of a member of the employee's immediate family or household. TAFE Teachers
TAFE Teachers are entitled to up to 3 days paid compassionate leave on each occasion of the death of either a member of the employee's immediate family or household.
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Paternity Leave
Academic and General Staff
Paternity/Partner Leave is available for staff who are not the primary care-giver of the child and may be taken in the period three months prior to and three months after the birth or placement of the child. Employees who are not the primary care-giver of the child will be entitled to ten working days paid partner leave.
TAFE Teaching Staff
A TAFE teaching employee who has completed 12 months service with Federation University and who submits a statutory declaration stating that his spouse is pregnant or is an approved applicant to adopt a child is entitled to five days full pay. This leave must be taken during the period one week prior to the birth and six weeks after, or within six weeks of the adoption of the child.
UB Business Travel
The UB Business Travel leave request should only be submitted if the duration of the
business conference, meeting or off-campus business travel exceeds 1 day. ie. An overnight conference or multiple days business travel. (It is not necessary to book this leave type if you have a 2-3 hour meeting for instance)
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Do I need to type anything into the ‘Comments’ or ‘Explanation’ box when submitting a leave request?
It is strongly recommended that in most cases you enter a short description or ‘reason’ for the leave request being submitted. Particularly for Carer’s leave (Personal), employees need to specify their relationship to a family member or person and also specify that the leave is being submitted due to illness or injury. If the comments box is used, it can speed up payroll
processing time as we will know more about the individual request.
What must I do if I have Annual Leave booked, and I become ill while taking the leave? Can I amend/change a leave booking if the booking date(s) have already passed?
If for example you are sick during your annual leave period, you will need to fill out a paper based leave form to get the annual leave day(s) changed to sick leave days. A historical booking cannot be changed using the self-service system. (Any leave booking where the date(s) have passed (past booking) cannot be undone on the system) If any changes need to made to historical bookings, a paper based leave form needs to be approved by your
supervisor, then forwarded to payroll for final approval and amendment on the system.
What does the ‘73.50’ or ‘76.00’ figures mean when I create a new leave request and want to select a leave type?
These numbers indicate the rule or number of hours for a specific leave type which can be seen in the ’Leave Type’ drop-down menu when you begin to create a new leave request. 73.50 is the amount of hours worked in a fortnight for a General Staff member and 76.00 is the amount of hours worked in a fortnight for an Academic or TAFE Teacher. If you have a leave type choice of both 73.50 or 76.00, then you must select the appropriate leave type which applies to your employment. Therefore 1 full day of work is equivalent to 7.35 hours worked for a General Staff member and 7.60 hours worked for Academics & TAFE Teachers.
