HRM-PR-006: Unattachment from position

• Public Service Act 2008 (Qld) http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/P/PublicServA08.pdf

• Teacher's Award - State 2003 http://www.qirc.qld.gov.au/resources/pdf/awards/t/t0110.pdf
• Queensland Public Service Award - State 2003 http://www.qirc.qld.gov.au/resources/pdf/awards/q/q0350_q0110_220211.pdf
• Employees of Queensland Departments (Other than Public Service) Award - State 2003 http://www.qirc.qld.gov.au/resources/pdf/awards/e/e0340_220211.pdf
• PSC Employment Security Policy http://www.psc.qld.gov.au/library/document/policy/employment-security.pdf
• Directive 14/09: Placement of employees following machinery of government changes or service delivery reform http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/14664/Directive-14-09-Placement-of-employees-following-MOG-changes-100412.pdf
• State Government Departments Certified Agreement 2009 http://www.justice.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/38821/Core-2009-EB-Agreement-FINAL-CERTIFIED-100726.pdf

• HRM-PR-015: Transfer at Level Non-Teaching Staff /strategic/eppr/hr/hrmpr015/
• HRM-PR-029: Relocation of Classified Teachers /strategic/eppr/hr/hrmpr029/

Statement of intent

This procedure applies to permanent employees within the Department of Education and Training, excluding cleaners, classroom teachers and Senior Executives.

Unattachment from positions within the Department of Education and Training is to be managed according to Queensland Government Employment Security Policy and relevant industrial instruments.

Unattachment from position does not affect or diminish an employee's permanent status.

• employees requesting to vacate their substantive position for a period greater than 12 months may be required to be unattached from their substantive position in order to ensure service continuity in their work area
• an unattachment for reasons of absence from a position will only be considered once the employee has been absent from their position for a minimum of 12 months.

Approval will not be given for an employee to be unattached from their substantive position in circumstances of family leave or sick leave.

If an employee seeks exemption from this policy, consideration may be given to potential benefits the employee may, on return to duty, provide the work unit and their substantive position. In the event that agreement cannot be reached and the employee declines to be unattached from their position the delegate (Manager/Principal/ Regional Director) reserves the right to limit the period of time the employee may be absent from their substantive position to 12 months.

The period for which the unattachment may be considered is the total period of absence. For example, if an employee undertakes a secondment for nine months and then applies for special leave without pay for six months, the position has been vacated for a total of 15 months and therefore the employee may be requested to agree to be unattached from their position.

A cooling off period of 14 days, from the time of lodging the written agreement with the Manager/Principal/ Regional Director is to be provided to employees agreeing to unattach from their position. The request should remain with the Manager/Principal/ Regional Director during the cooling off period.

Unattachment from position does not entitle the employee to whole of government deployment in accordance with Amendment to Directive 14/09: Placement of employees following machinery of government changes or service delivery reform .

Employees (except classified teachers) may seek resolution in accordance with State Government Department's Certified Agreement 2009 Part 15, Prevention and Settlement of Disputes if they have an honest belief based on reasonable grounds that they have been treated in an unfair and/or unreasonable when negotiating unattachment from their position.

Responsibilities

• Public Servant
  • seeks approval from their Manager/Principal to vacate their substantive position for a period greater than 12 months
  • completes the Unattachment from position form
  • completes a Transfer at Level for Non-Teaching Staff form
• Classified Teacher
  • seeks approval from their Principal/Executive Director, Schools to vacate their substantive position for a period greater than 12 months
  • completes the Unattachment from position form
  • completes an Relocation Application form - Classified Teaching Positions approximately 6 months prior to their return from leave

• approves that the permanent employee vacate their substantive position for a period greater than 12 months
• discusses with the employee the requirement to be unattached from their position and associated implications (if a school based position, unless specifically requested, will be unattached to the appropriate regional office)
• discusses with and seeks endorsement from the appropriate Branch Director/Regional Director for the employee to be unattached
• endorses Unattachment from position form after the 14 day cooling off period.

• endorses Unattachment from position form
• forwards to Director, Workforce Recruitment and Employment to obtain apprioval from the authorised HR delegate
• ensures, on cessation of employee's absence, the employee is placed and provided with suitable duties within the branch to which they were last permanently appointed, until the employee is permanently placed.

• provides final approval for employee to be unattached
• forwards approved Unattachment from position form to Workforce Recruitment and Employment, Human Resources Services Branch.

• Public Servants
  • provides written advice of approval to employee and relevant regional office/branch for information
  • provides schedule to Payroll Services Unit to ensure the unattachment is reflected on the department's Human Resource Management Information System (DET HRMIS)
  • enters employee's transfer at level details on to DET HRMIS where they have also submitted a requeset to be transferred to another work unit/geographic area on resumption of duty
• Classified Teachers
  • provides schedule to relevant regional office to ensure the unattachment is reflected appropriately.
    

• enters employee's unattachment record on to the DET HRMIS

• enters employee's unattachment record on to the DET HRMIS.

Forms

• Unattachment from position form

• Not Applicable

Other relevant documents

• Definitions/strategic/eppr/hr/hrmpr006/definitions.html

Contacts

For enquiries regarding this process, State schools please contact their Regional Office:

All other Business Units contact their aligned HR Unit (for example, regional HR, institute HR, central office).

If further assistance is required, please email Workforce Recruitment and Employment or phone (07) 3237 9718.

• HRM-PR-006: Unattachment from position - Version: 1.0, 1.1, 1.2