Appendix J: Certified Agreement and AWAs

Certified Agreement

The Australian Public Service Commission Certified Agreement 2003-06 Building Our Capability: People and Performance provides a number of non-salary benefits to its employees. These include:

• commitment to uphold and promote the APS Values and Code of Conduct (B.5-6)
• a revised appraisal scheme with a strong focus on planning and managing individual performance and clear links between corporate, team and individual performance (Appendix 2)
• continuing commitment to staff development and enhanced support for staff who are undertaking formal study (F.13-18)
• closedown of the Commission's offices between Christmas and New Year (usually two working days) (J.39-42)
• provision for staff to donate money on a regular basis to charities or organisations that are entitled to receive tax-deductible donations through a workplace giving program. (D.25)
• payment of $65 for meals and incidentals for work done within the extended bandwidth (E.2)
• Departmental Liaison duties allowance (E.6)
• motor vehicle allowance (E.7-8)
• travel allowance (E.9-17)
• reimbursement to an employee for loss or damage to property while travelling for work purposes (E.21)
• recognition of family responsibilities, including reimbursement of expenses for additional family care under certain circumstances (F.6-7)
• health awareness program (F.8)
• employee assistance scheme (F.9)
• staff consultation on all major changes that affect their working conditions under the Agreement (I.6-7)
• access for staff to the Flexbank system (J.13-19)
• flexible working arrangements for EL 1 staff (J.20)
• up to five days of paid personal/carers leave per year (including for approved volunteer work of 2 days per year), separate from the sick leave entitlement (J.47-49)
• access to up to five additional days of paid personal/carers leave per year, deducted from sick leave credits (J.50)
• monthly accrual of recreation leave (J.53)
• access to up to four weeks of their recreation leave credits at half pay (J.61)
• provision for employees to purchase up to four weeks' additional leave through reduction in salary (J.68-71)
• Commissioner's discretion to grant staff leave without pay for a variety of reasons (J.72-75- supported by Appendix 6)
• provision to convert full-pay sick leave credits to half-pay credits and vice versa (J.79)

Australian Workplace Agreements

The Commission's AWAs generally include similar provisions to its certified agreement. In addition some AWAs include the following benefits:

• car parking at the place of employment
• home access to information technology
• airline lounge membership
• business class air travel when travelling on official business
• executive lease vehicle
• an allowance to cover work-related expenses, including:
  • newspapers and magazines
  • telephone expenses
  • accompanied travel.