education.vic.gov.au

Policy and Guidelines

Annual leave

A full-time teaching service employee (principal, teacher, education support and paraprofessional class), is entitled to 152 hours (20 days) annual leave in respect of each 12 months of service which accrues progressively during a year of service, according to the employee's ordinary hours of work. Part-time employees receive annual leave entitlements on a pro rata basis, calculated according to the time fraction worked.

Annual leave accrues at the rate of 0.07665978 of the annual entitlement for each completed hour of service.

Service for annual leave accrual purposes includes all periods of:

  • duty
  • paid leave
  • leave without pay not exceeding 1 month in any calendar year

Employees are to use annual leave during school vacation periods unless otherwise approved. Public holidays that fall during a period of annual leave are not regarded as part of that leave.

From 1 February 2023, principal and teacher class employees' annual leave entitlements will formally accrue through the eduPay system and are able to be viewed through Employee Self Service (ESS) on eduPay.

All employees will have annual leave automatically deducted through eduPay during school holiday periods. eduPay will deduct accrued annual leave progressively during each school holiday period. Where accrued annual leave is fully acquitted in a holiday period, normal school holiday arrangements will apply. Where an employee chooses to attend in any school holiday period, such attendance will need to be entered in eduPay and notified to the principal. Annual leave will not be deducted for those periods of attendance. Where a day of attendance is not entered into eduPay, it will be assumed the day will be available for annual leave acquittal.

An education support class employee in receipt of a fortnightly leave purchase allowance will need to notify the principal of the days they will be on duty during school holiday periods and enter in eduPay. Annual leave will not be deducted for those nominated/approved periods/days. Where a day of attendance is not entered into eduPay, it will be assumed the day will be available for annual leave acquittal.

An employee who becomes ill or is injured during annual leave may be granted personal leave (refer to Personal Leave — Teaching Service for more information).

Additional paid leave — education support class

A full-time education support class employee is entitled to 228 hours (30 days) additional paid leave in respect of each calendar year. Part-time employees receive additional paid leave entitlements on a pro rata basis calculated according to the time fraction worked.

Additional paid leave accrues in accordance with the following formula for each completed hour of service:

Hours of additional paid leave divided by the number of working hours per year (1982.7868)

Rate of accrual = Hours of additional paid leave ÷ Number of working hours per year

For example, a full-time employee accruing 30 days additional paid leave in a calendar year accrues additional paid leave as per the following:

228 hours (30 days X 7.6 hours) ÷ 1982.7868 (number of work hours per year) = 0.11498967 additional paid leave accrual per hour worked

Service for additional paid leave accrual purposes includes all periods of:

  • duty
  • paid leave
  • leave without pay not exceeding 1 month in any calendar year

Education support class employees are expected to use additional paid leave during school vacation periods unless otherwise approved. Public holidays that fall during a period of additional paid leave are not regarded as part of that leave.

An education support class employee who is required, or agrees, to attend for duty and/or professional development during the period of additional paid leave will be paid the leave purchase allowance and their additional paid leave will be reduced accordingly.

Education support class employees will have additional paid leave automatically entered on eduPay during school holiday periods. Attendance in any school holiday period will need to be entered in eduPay for an education support class employee in receipt of a fortnightly leave purchase allowance. Additional paid leave will not be deducted for those periods of attendance. Where a day of attendance is not entered into eduPay, it will be assumed the day will be available for additional paid leave acquittal.

Further information

Information about the attendance provisions for education support class employees is available on the Attendance and Working Hours — Teaching Service page and information about the leave purchase allowance is available at Allowances — Teaching Service.

Department policy and guidelines on annual leave. Also covers additional leave for education support class

Reviewed 13 February 2023

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