Procedure: Professional staff loadings and allowances

Purpose

To inform staff of options for additional remuneration for professional staff by way of loadings and allowances, where required above the base salary.

Procedure

*unless approved by the Vice-Chancellor, Director Human Resources, or the allowance forms part of a Total Employment Cost for a Senior Manager 2 and above.

Market loadings

1. A market loading may be used to assist with the attraction and retention of high performing staff or occupational groups, where external market conditions which may be significantly more attractive than the University currently offers.
2. It is not appropriate for the market to influence the classification of the position, which is determined by work value criteria and standards.
3. The University may, however, pay a salary loading to attract or retain outstanding staff, giving consideration to the total salary and benefit package offered by the University (including superannuation, leave benefits, development opportunities and other conditions), compared to the external market.
4. A market loading may be considered where:

• there are demonstrated difficulties in attracting appropriately qualified or experienced staff to particular positions; or
• there is a high turnover of staff and where higher external salaries for positions that are similar in nature have been documented as being a significant contributing factor.

5. Exceeding performance expectations is not, in itself, considered to be a justification for a market loading but can be used for attraction and retention purposes. It is expected that staff members receiving a market loading will be performing their role at a level that has been assessed as outstanding within a completed Performance and Development Review (PDR).
6. The market loading will count as ‘salary’ for all periods of paid leave, penalty rate calculations and overtime (where the staff member is eligible), and can be paid as salary or contributed to salary packaging/superannuation contributions.
7. A market loading applies only to a particular position, and will generally no longer apply or be reduced when a staff member commences a new position, or receives a reclassification of their substantive position.
8. A market loading will be reduced where a staff member is temporarily transferred or acting in a higher level position, unless approved by the Director Human Resources
9. A proposal for a market loading approved by the Delegate should include:

• a completed Market Loading form; and
• justification for the proposed loading; and
• evidence of higher remuneration available externally; and
• the likelihood of losing a valued staff member; and
• a copy of the staff member's latest PDR.

10. The Senior Manager Remuneration Committee will consider and approve market loading proposals for:

• Senior Manager level 2-5 staff; or
• Loadings that exceed 10% of base salary; or
• Loadings that result in the total remuneration being at or over the Senior Manager 2 salary.

Higher duties allowance

11. Higher duties allowance (HDA) is used where a staff member transfers temporarily to a new position for a short time, generally in a caretaker capacity to cover leave, approved travel, or short term backfill requirements. The duties undertaken are classified at a higher level than the staff member’s substantive position. The allowance is in respect of remuneration at the higher position.
12. HDA is not to be used for long term temporary transfers, as defined under the Temporary Transfer and Higher Duties procedure.
13. The University seeks to develop the skills of its staff by providing opportunities for duties at a higher level.
14. Where duties of a higher level are required to be carried out, a professional staff member may be paid HDA. A completed Higher Duties Allowance form must be submitted to facilitate payment.
15. HDA will be paid to a staff member performing higher duties in the following circumstances:

1. where the maximum salary of the position in which the staff member acts is not in excess of the salary range for ANU Officer level 7 and the staff member performs those higher duties for a period in excess of 2 consecutive working days;
2. where the members of staff in the Grounds, Hospitality and Maintenance streams are required to act in positions where the salary does not exceed the maximum salary point of the current ANU Officer level 7 and the occupant of the higher level position is absent 2 working days or more; and
3. where the maximum salary for the position in which the staff member acts exceeds the maximum of the salary range for ANU Officer level 7 and the staff member performs those higher duties for a period in excess of 5 consecutive working days.

16. Where the full duties and responsibilities are undertaken the HDA will be:

1. the difference between the salary rate for the staff member's substantive ANU Officer level and incremental step and the base salary rate of the ANU Officer level at which the higher duties are being undertaken; or
2. a fixed amount approved by the delegate for the period of higher duties, provided that amount is not less than the amount to which the staff member would be entitled pursuant to 6a above.

17. Payment at an incremental step higher than the base will require Director – Human Resources approval.
18. Where a staff member performs only part of the duties, HDA may be paid at an appropriate percentage of the allowance specified by the delegate.
19. Where a staff member holds a substantive broadband classification and performs higher duties in the same broadband classification then HDA will not be payable.
20. Where a staff member performs higher duties for a period of between one half of a day and one full day, the period of higher duties will be regarded as a full day for the purposes of payment of the allowance.
21. HDA periods are non-superannuable due to the short term nature of the duties.
22. HDA periods that exceed 12 months or more are superannuable, however should be considered as a temporary transfer.
23. HDA for Senior Managers, including Service Division Directors, is payable for periods in excess of 20 working days.

Additional duties

24. Additional duties may be used where a staff member other than a casual staff member is performing duties that are in addition to their substantive appointment. The work is likely to be outside the scope of a staff member’s normal duties and/or done out of working hours and does not qualify for overtime or other penalty payments.
25. The work can be performed in their normal (home) work area, or another budget unit of the University.
26. Examples of additional duties include:

• a staff member conducting specialist course of study not directly related to their substantive appointment
• a professional staff member providing research support/assistance outside of their normal duties to another area
• a one off arrangement, where a regular payment is not required.

27. The following points should be taken into consideration when applying the payment of additional duties:

• The area seeking the services of the staff member should discuss this with the staff member's supervisor and seek agreement for the additional duties to be undertaken.
• Where the home area certifies that the staff member has a full workload, an additional payment may be approved.
• If the staff member does not have a full workload the work may be undertaken and a funds transfer may be made to the home budget centre and not to the staff member.
• If a staff member is to be paid for agreed additional duties, prior approval to undertake the additional duties must be obtained from the normal (home) work area supervisor and ‘Paying Area’ delegate using the Request for Additional Duties Payment form in HORUS. An override budget code is available.
• The maximum hourly rate payable is to be consistent with the current hourly rate of the staff member. Payment rate more than substantive position hourly rate will require approval by Director of Human Resource.
• Higher duties allowance or responsibility loading is the most appropriate payment for a staff member acting in another role.

28. By providing the override budget code, all costs, including on-costs (except superannuation and the payroll tax on this superannuation which will be charged to the substantive charge account), will be charged to the budget area employing the staff member for the additional duties, not their 'home' budget unit. This cost will be reflected on the PCA reports of the budget area responsible for the payment. If the override budget code is left blank, all costs will be charged to the 'home' department. On-costs associated with additional payments include workers compensation and payroll tax.
29. Staff members will be required to submit a claim for additional hours worked via HORUS. Once the form is submitted by the staff member it will be work flowed to the additional duties supervisor for approval. Payment will occur in the next pay cycle.

Responsibility loading

30. Responsibility loading may be used to recognise additional responsibilities to a staff member’s substantive position. These responsibilities are beyond those expected at the salary classification level held by the staff member.
31. A staff member undertaking ongoing additional responsibilities that are higher than current classification but which do not warrant reclassification of the position held must be approved by the Director, Human Resources, and must not take the individual's salary above the base of the next salary level.
32. It is expected the staff member will be highly experienced and at the top of their level in the current salary scale.
33. A responsibility loading should be reviewed every 2 years, or when there is a change in the responsibilities the loading is paid for.

Accelerated increment

34. An accelerated increment may be used to progress a staff member’s increment level prior to the due date.
35. An accelerated increment may be approved:

• to recognise exceptional development and performance beyond normal expectations, following a performance and development review and where the staff member has received a rating of ‘Outstanding’;
• as an alternative to a market loading if: there is evidence of higher salaries being paid externally for the particular occupation group or position and it is likely the University would have difficulty filling the position if it became vacant; or there is a high turnover of staff and higher external salaries have been documented as a significant contributing factor.

36. Accelerated increments may:

• move the staff member to a higher increment level that they would otherwise move under the provisions of the Payment of salary increments procedure; or
• move to the next (or subsequent) increment earlier than their normal increment anniversary date.

37. Accelerated increments greater than one step require approval by the Director, Human Resources or Vice-Chancellor.
38. Consideration should be given to the Payment of salary increments procedure, when approval for an accelerated increment is sought.

Performance Bonus

39. A performance bonus may be paid in recognition of outstanding performance or achievement of negotiated stretch targets if the staff member:

• has achieved or exceeded stretch targets specified in the staff member’s PDR or contract of employment, which are linked to a performance bonus payment; and/or
• has demonstrated substantial individual achievement on a significant project or other accomplishment; and/or
• is a member of a group of staff who have contributed significantly to a project or outcome which has University-wide reach; and/or
• has demonstrated outstanding performance in teaching, research or outreach activities; and/or
• has made a significant individual contribution to their College or Division, which the Dean or Director believes merits a performance bonus payment.

40. Performance bonus payments are not awarded for meeting the expected requirements of a role.
41. Performance bonus payments are a one-off payment. There is no obligation for the University to pay a performance bonus in subsequent years, after one payment.
42. Performance bonus payments are limited to a maximum of one per calendar year and generally will not exceed 10% of the staff member’s base salary.
43. Performance bonus payments are exclusive of College based awards paid under the Staff Achievement Award procedure, determined through College based competitive or merit processes and approved by College Deans or College General Managers. Receipt of such awards will be considered as part of the application case if an additional request for a performance bonus payment is made.
44. Incorporation of a performance bonus payment in a staff member’s contract or PDR does not result in automatic approval of a performance bonus request. Advice should be sought from the Human Resources Division prior to including a performance bonus payment in a staff member’s contract or PDR.
45. The Senior Manager Remuneration Committee will consider all performance bonus payment requests, with the Director, Human Resources the final delegate.
46. The performance bonus payment may be paid as a lump sum payment into the staff member’s bank account via payroll, or as a non-monetary benefit such as:

• payment to a research account
• study assistance
• agreed staff development opportunities such as conference attendance.

47. Performance bonus payments are not superannuable except as required to meet the Superannuation Guarantee with respect to superannuation payable on ordinary time earnings. The cost of meeting any superannuation payable will be charged to the budget area employing the staff member.