❓ Hon Tjorn Sibma asks about the Department of Education's annual leave liability, staff leave balances, and management strategies to reduce excessive leave accrual. The Department provides figures and details on a 2017 initiative to reduce leave balances exceeding 40 days.
AnsweredQoN 1258Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
(1) What was the total value of the Department of Education's annual leave liability for all its employees as at 30 March 2018? (2) As at 30 March 2018, how many of these staff had accrued annual leave balances of between: (a) four - five weeks; (b) five - six weeks; (c) six - seven weeks; (d) seven - eight weeks; and (e) greater than eight weeks? (3) As at 30 March 2018, what was the financial value of the department's liability for accrued annual leave balances of between: (a) four - five weeks; (b) five - six weeks; (c) six - seven weeks; (d) seven - eight weeks; and (e) greater than eight weeks? (4) For the twelve months preceding 30 March 2018, what management strategies had been implemented to reduce the incidence of excessive accrued annual leave balances, and what were the results of those efforts?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
26 June 2018
Responded by
Minister for Education and Training
Response time
9 days
(1) $19 464 707
(2) (a) 305
(b) 210
(c) 187
(d) 128
(e) 312
(3) (a) $2 038 639
(b) $1 653 078
(c) $1 805 682
(d) $1 670 518
(e) $6 031 801
(4) In January 2017, employees* holding in excess of two years’ accrued annual leave (40 days or more for full-time staff) received a direct communication requesting reduction of their annual leave to the allowable limit of 40 days by 30 June 2017. A central communication was also distributed in January 2017 to all staff and line managers, advising that excessive annual leave credits would need to be used by 30 June 2017. Employees with legitimate reasons for not being able to use their annual leave were provided with a process to request a deferral.
*Teachers, education assistants and ministerial officers do not accrue annual leave.
The following table demonstrates the reduction of excessive annual leave at quarterly intervals during 2017.
Month (quarterly)
Number of employees with more than 40 days accrued annual leave
January 2017
300
March 2017
237
June 2017
139
September 2017
95
December 2017
71
(2) (a) 305
(b) 210
(c) 187
(d) 128
(e) 312
(3) (a) $2 038 639
(b) $1 653 078
(c) $1 805 682
(d) $1 670 518
(e) $6 031 801
(4) In January 2017, employees* holding in excess of two years’ accrued annual leave (40 days or more for full-time staff) received a direct communication requesting reduction of their annual leave to the allowable limit of 40 days by 30 June 2017. A central communication was also distributed in January 2017 to all staff and line managers, advising that excessive annual leave credits would need to be used by 30 June 2017. Employees with legitimate reasons for not being able to use their annual leave were provided with a process to request a deferral.
*Teachers, education assistants and ministerial officers do not accrue annual leave.
The following table demonstrates the reduction of excessive annual leave at quarterly intervals during 2017.
Month (quarterly)
Number of employees with more than 40 days accrued annual leave
January 2017
300
March 2017
237
June 2017
139
September 2017
95
December 2017
71
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