Source: http://awardviewer.fwo.gov.au/award/link/PR718539
Timestamp: 2020-08-15 08:19:06
Document Index: 208298080

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 2', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 5', 'art 6', 'art 7', 'art 6', 'art 7']

PR718539: PR718539 - Variation - 30 Apr 2020
MA000065 PR718539
4 yearly review of modern awards – Professional Employees Award 2010 –modern award varied.
A. Further to the decision [[2020] FWCFB 2124] issued by the Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission on 27 April 2020,the Professional Employees Award 2010 is varied as follows:
3. The National Employment Standards and this award 10
4. Coverage 11
5. Individual flexibility arrangements 12
6. Requests for flexible working arrangements 14
7. Facilitative provisions for flexible working practices 15
Part 2—Types of Employment and Classifications 15
8. Types of employment 15
9. Full-time employees 16
10. Part-time employees 16
11. Casual employees 16
12. Classifications 18
Part 3—Hours of Work 19
13. Ordinary hours of work 19
Part 4—Wages and Allowances 20
14. Minimum rates 20
15. Payment of wages 21
16. Allowances 22
17. Superannuation 23
Part 5—Leave and Public Holidays 24
18. Annual leave 24
19. Personal/carer’s leave and compassionate leave 28
20. Parental leave and related entitlements 28
21. Community service leave 28
22. Unpaid family and domestic violence leave 28
23. Public holidays 28
Part 6—Consultation and Dispute Resolution 29
24. Consultation about major workplace change 29
25. Consultation about changes to rosters or hours of work 30
26. Dispute resolution 30
Part 7—Termination of Employment and Redundancy 31
27. Termination of employment 31
28. Redundancy 32
Schedule A —Classification Structure and Definitions 34
Schedule B —Medical Research Employees 39
Schedule C —Summary of Casual Hourly Rates of Pay 44
Schedule D —Agreement to Take Annual Leave in Advance 45
Schedule E —Agreement to Cash Out Annual Leave 46
Schedule X —Additional Measures During the COVID-19 Pandemic 47
1.1 This award is the Professional Employees Award 2020.
2.1 In this award,unless the contrary intention appears:
(d) visual images,whether or not animated;
(e) signals;or
(f) in any other form or other combination of forms.
in-service training means the formal and informal work-related learning activities undertaken by a technology based graduate through opportunities provided by the employer,which contribute to professional development and efficiency. This includes supervised and unsupervised work experience to increase the breadth and depth of knowledge and the skills acquired by the graduate in specific areas of professional practice.
supervision means the oversight,direction,instruction,guidance and/or support provided to a graduate by the experienced professional responsible for ensuring the graduate is not placed in situations where required to function beyond their competence.
2.2 Engineering stream
(b) having graduated in a 4 or 5 year course at a university recognised by Engineers Australia,4 years’experience on professional engineering duties since becoming a Qualified engineer;or
(c) not having so graduated,5 years of such experience.
Graduate engineer means a person who is the holder of a university degree (4 or 5 year course) recognised by Engineers Australia or is the holder of a degree,diploma or other testamur which:
(a) has been issued by a technical university,an institute of technology,a European technical high school (technische hochschule) or polytechnic or other similar educational establishment;and
(b) is recognised by Engineers Australia as attaining a standard similar to a university degree;and has been issued following:
(i) a course of not less than 4 years’duration for a full-time course after a standard of secondary education not less than the standard of examination for matriculation to an Australian university;or
(ii) a part-time course of sufficient duration to obtain a similar standard as a 4 year full-time course after a similar standard of secondary education.
Professional engineer means a person qualified to carry out professional engineering duties as defined. The term professional engineer includes graduate engineer and experienced engineer as defined in clause 2.2.
professional engineering duties means duties carried out by a person in any particular employment,the adequate discharge of any portion of which duties requires qualifications of the employee as (or at least equal to those of) of a graduate member of Engineers Australia.
2.3 Information technology and telecommunications services stream
(a) that they have graduated with a university degree,with a science or information technology major (3,4 or 5 year course) and had 4 years’experience on professional information technology duties since graduating;or
(b) that they,not having so graduated,have sufficient qualifications and experience to be a Certified Professional of the Australian Computer Society plus a further 4 years’experience on professional information technology duties.
(a) holds a university degree with a science or information technology major (3,4 or 5 year course) accredited by the Australian Computer Society at professional level;or
Professional information technology duties means duties carried out by a person in employment where the adequate discharge of any of the duties requires a person to:
(a) hold a university degree with a science or information technology major (3,4 or 5 year course) accredited by the Australian Computer Society at professional level;or
(b) have sufficient qualifications and experience to be a Certified Professional of the Australian Computer Society.
Professional information technology employee means an adult person qualified to carry out professional information technology duties as defined. The term professional information technology employee includes graduate information technology employee and experienced information technology employee as defined.
Telecommunications service means a service for carrying communications by means of guided or unguided electromagnetic energy or both. Carrying includes transmitting,switching or receiving.
2.4 Scientist stream
Academic schedule means:
(i) when a graduate (4 or 5 year course) –4 years’experience;
(ii) when a graduate (3 year course) –5 years’experience,or
Professional scientist means a person qualified to carry out professional scientific duties as defined and includes qualified scientist and experienced scientist as defined.
Professional scientific duties means duties carried out by a person in employment where the adequate discharge of any of the duties requires the employee to have the academic qualifications set out in the academic schedule as defined.
Qualified scientist means a professional scientist other than an experienced scientist as defined,that is,a person possessing academic qualifications as specified in the academic schedule.
2.5 Quality auditing stream
Quality auditing industry means that industry in which the participants provide advisory,auditing and assessment services to companies which are pursuing quality improvement programs (in compliance with the International Standards Organisations quality standards).
Quality auditor/senior (lead) quality auditor means for the purposes of this award the classifications as outlined in Schedule A—Classification Structure and Definitions.
Quality auditing means duties carried out by a person in employment within the quality auditing industry where the adequate discharge of any of the duties requires the following qualifications and experiences:
(a) Educational requirements
(i) Auditors will have successfully completed a course of study,after completing secondary education,involving a minimum of 600 hours direct contact and leading to an award from a recognised body,college or university. Equivalent distance learning courses or corporate/professional membership of a recognised professional institution will also be recognised.
(ii) In all cases,documentary evidence of the educational standard claimed will be required. Copies of degree or certificates will be required as objective evidence to satisfy the educational requirement. Verification of the awards will be as follows:
•originals (which are to be returned after sighting by an officer of the auditor certification body);
•photocopies which have been signed as verified by one of the applicant’s sponsors;or
•a letter from the qualifying authority,e.g. university or college,confirming the award made.
(iii) As an alternative,auditors may be considered for certification if they can demonstrate 8 years’full-time work experience and satisfy the auditor certification body they have achieved a satisfactory educational standard including oral and written communication skills necessary to conduct and/or manage audits.
(b) Experience requirement
(i) Auditors will have a minimum of 2 years’relevant experience in the implementation or application of quality management systems which provides the practical knowledge necessary to effectively audit such systems.
(ii) The quality management system experience required may be concurrent with work experience,but must have been achieved in the 6 years prior to initial certification.
(c) Auditing experience requirement
(i) All levels of auditor will maintain an audit log in order to demonstrate that their auditing experience was gained under the prescribed conditions and within the required time frame.
(ii) For all levels of auditor,only independent audits satisfy the auditing experience requirements. The auditor and the auditor’s organisation will have independent management and operating structure from the audited organisation. Examples of acceptable relationships are:
•a head office audit of a plant or division;
•one division of plant auditing another division or plant;
•a customer organisation auditing a supplier;
•a third party certification audit;or
•a consultant contracted to provide an independent audit.
2.6 Medical researcher stream
(a) a university degree majoring in a medical research discipline as defined (3,4 or 5 year course) from:
(ii) when a graduate (3 year course) –5 years’experience.
Graduate medical research employee means a Professional medical research employee employed by a medical research institute,other than an Experienced medical research employee,that is,a person possessing a university degree majoring in a medical research discipline (3,4 or 5 year course) from an Australian,New Zealand,United Kingdom or United States of America university or from an Australian tertiary educational institution.
Professional medical research employee means a person employed by a medical research institute and qualified to carry out professional medical research duties as defined. The term Professional medical research employee will embrace and include Graduate medical research employee and Experienced medical research employee as defined in clause 2.6.
4.1 This industry and occupational award covers employers throughout Australia as follows:
(a) Employers throughout Australia with respect to their employees performing professional engineering and professional scientific duties who are covered by the classifications in Schedule A—Classification Structure and Definitions of the award and those employees.
(b) Employers throughout Australia principally engaged in the information technology industry,the quality auditing industry or the telecommunications services industry and their employees who are covered by the classifications in Schedule A—Classification Structure and Definitions.
(c) Employers throughout Australia principally engaged as medical research institutes with respect to their employees performing professional medical research duties who are covered by the classifications in Schedule B—Medical Research Employees and those employees.
4.2 The award does not cover employees who are covered by the following awards:
(a) Airport Employees Award 2020;
(c) Electrical Power Industry Award 2020;
(d) Nurses Award 2010;
(e) Port Authorities Award 2020;
(f) Rail Industry Award 2020;
(g) State Government Agencies Award 2020;and
(h) Water Industry Award 2020.
4.4 This award covers any employer which supplies labour on an on-hire basis in the industries set out in clause 4.1 in respect of on-hire employees in classifications covered by this award,and those on-hire employees,while engaged in the performance of work for a business in those industries. Clause 4.4 operates subject to the exclusions from coverage in this award.
4.5 This award covers any employer which supplies on-hire employees in classifications set out in Schedule A—Classification Structure and Definitions and those on-hire employees,if the employer is not covered by another modern award containing a classification which is more appropriate to the work performed by the employee. Clause 4.5 operates subject to the exclusions from coverage in this award.
4.6 This industry and occupational award does not cover:
7. Facilitative provisions for flexible working practices
Transfers –period of notice
7.3 Agreements made pursuant to clause 7.2 must be recorded in writing and be available to every affected employee on request.
8.1 Contract of employment
8.2 Notification of conditions of employment
Any person not specifically engaged as a part-time or casual employee is for all purposes of this award a full-time employee.
10.1 An employee may be engaged for a specified number of ordinary hours each week being less than an average of 38 hours per week.
10.2 A part-time employee must be paid the appropriate minimum hourly rate for the classification prescribed in clause 14—Minimum rates and must receive other conditions under this award on a pro rata basis.
10.3 Any employee engaged on a full-time basis must not be converted to a part-time basis as set out in clause 10 without the employee’s written agreement.
11.1 An employee may be engaged as a casual and must be paid per hour worked:
(a) the minimum hourly rate appropriate to the employee’s classification prescribed in clause 14—Minimum rates;and
(b) a loading of 25% of that rate.
11.2 The casual loading is paid to compensate casual employees for a lack of continuity in employment,paid leave,termination and other employment benefits of a full-time or part-time employee.
11.3 A casual employee must be paid for at least 2 consecutive hours of work on each occasion they are required to attend work.
(i) it would require a significant adjustment to the casual employee’s hours of work in order for the employee to be engaged as a full-time or part-time employee in accordance with the provisions of this award—that is,the casual employee is not truly a regular casual employee as defined in clause 11.4(b);
(ii) if it is agreed that the employee will become a part-time employee,the matters referred to in clause 10—Part-time employees.
12.1 The classification definitions in Schedule A—Classification Structure and Definitions and Schedule B—Medical Research Employees will apply.
12.2 Notification of responsibility level
An employee must on appointment and/or upon request be informed by their employer of the responsibility level as described in Schedule A—Classification Structure and Definitions or Schedule B—Medical Research Employees which the employer considers relevant to the employee’s employment having regard to the duties performed by the employee concerned.
12.3 Evidence of qualifications
12.4 Professional development
(a) Employees are responsible for keeping themselves informed of developments in their profession and developing their professional knowledge and ability. It is appropriate for employees to be encouraged to undertake self-development programs.
13.1 For the purpose of the NES,ordinary hours of work under this award are 38 per week.
13.2 An employee who by agreement with their employer is working a regular cycle (including shorter or longer hours) must not have ordinary hours of duty which exceed an average of 38 hours per week over the cycle.
13.3 Employers must compensate for:
(b) time worked on-call-backs;
(d) time spent carrying out professional engineering duties or professional scientific/information technology duties outside of the ordinary hours over the telephone or via remote access arrangements;or
13.4 Compensation may include:
(c) taking the factors in clause 13.3 into account in the fixation of annual remuneration;or
13.5 Where relevant,compensation in clause 13.4 must include consideration of the penalty rate or equivalent and conditions applicable from time to time to the majority of employees employed in a particular establishment in which the employee is employed.
13.6 The compensation in clause 13.4 must be reviewed annually to ensure that it is set at an appropriate level having regard to the factors listed in clause 13.
13.7 Transfers
(a) An employee who is transferred permanently from day work to shiftwork or from shiftwork to day work must receive at least one month’s notice unless the employer and the employee agree on a lesser period of notice.
(b) Clause 13.7(a) is subject to the requirements of clause 25—Consultation about changes to rosters or hours of work.
14.1 The minimum annual wages payable to full-time employees in the classifications defined in Schedule A—Classification Structure and Definitions and Schedule B—Medical Research Employees are:
Level 1 Graduate professional—pay point 1.1 (3 year degree)
Level 1 Graduate professional—pay point 1.1 (4 or 5 year degree)
Level 1 Graduate professional—pay point 1.2
Level 1 Graduate professional—pay point 1.3
Level 1 Graduate professional—pay point 1.4
14.2 Minimum hourly rates are calculated as follows:
Hourly rate = (Annual wage x 6/313) / 38
15.1 Payment on termination of employment
(b) The requirement to pay wages and other amounts under clause 15.1(a) is subject to further order of the Commission and the employer making deductions authorised by this award or the Act.
NOTE 2: Clause 15.1(b) allows the Commission to make an order delaying the requirement to make a payment under clause 15.1. For example,the Commission could make an order delaying the requirement to pay redundancy pay if an employer makes an application under section 120 of the Act for the Commission to reduce the amount of redundancy pay an employee is entitled to under the NES.
16.1 Employers must pay to an employee the expense-rated allowances the employee is entitled to under clause 16.
16.2 Travelling expenses and travelling time
An employee must be reimbursed all reasonable expenses (including accommodation,meals and out-of-pocket expenses directly related to their employment) incurred while travelling on their employer’s business. Reasonable compensation for excess travel time will be agreed upon.
16.3 Vehicle allowance
The employer must pay an employee required to use their private vehicle on the employer’s business at least $0.78 per kilometre travelled. For the purposes of clause 16.3 the use of the employee's private vehicle is by mutual agreement between the employee and employer.
16.4 Equipment and special clothing
Except where an employee elects to provide equipment and special clothing,the employer must provide free of cost,all such equipment and special clothing reasonably required for the adequate discharge of duties. The equipment or clothing will remain the property of the employer.
16.5 Adjustment of expense-related allowances
(a) At the time of any adjustment to wages as a result of an annual wage review,each expense-related allowance will be increased by the relevant adjustment factor. The relevant adjustment factor for this purpose is the percentage movement in the applicable index figure most recently published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics since the allowance was last adjusted.
18.2 An employee must be paid a loading calculated at the rate of 17.5% of their base rate of pay,provided that:
(a) the entitlement must not exceed the ABS average weekly earnings for all males (Australia) for the September quarter of the year preceding the year in which the date of the accrual of the annual leave falls;and
(b) where an employee receives remuneration from their employer which is related to their annual leave loading and which is established as being of equivalent value to or greater value than the loading provided by clause 18.2,no further entitlement will accrue. Where the benefit is of a lesser value than equivalent value then the employer must make up the benefit to that value.
18.3 Definition of shiftworker
For the purpose of the additional week of annual leave provided for in the NES,a shiftworker is a 7 day shiftworker who is regularly rostered to work on Sundays and public holidays.
18.4 Annual close-down
(a) An employer may close down a section or more of the enterprise for the purpose of allowing annual leave to all or the majority of employees.
(b) The same conditions which apply to the other employees of the enterprise (or sections) also apply to employees covered by this award.
NOTE: An example of the type of agreement required by clause 18.5 is set out at Schedule D—Agreement to Take Annual Leave in Advance. There is no requirement to use the form of agreement set out at Schedule D—Agreement to Take Annual Leave in Advance.
18.6 Cashing out of annual leave
(a) Paid annual leave must not be cashed out except in accordance with an agreement under clause 18.6.
(b) Each cashing out of a particular amount of paid annual leave must be the subject of a separate agreement under clause 18.6.
(d) An agreement under clause 18.6 must state:
(e) An agreement under clause 18.6 must be signed by the employer and employee and,if the employee is under 18 years of age,by the employee’s parent or guardian.
(i) The employer must keep a copy of any agreement under clause 18.6 as an employee record.
NOTE 1: Under section 344 of the Act,an employer must not exert undue influence or undue pressure on an employee to make,or not make,an agreement under clause 18.6.
NOTE 2: Under section 345(1) of the Act,a person must not knowingly or recklessly make a false or misleading representation about the workplace rights of another person under clause 18.6.
NOTE 3: An example of the type of agreement required by clause 18.6 is set out at Schedule E—Agreement to Cash Out Annual Leave. There is no requirement to use the form of agreement set out at Schedule E—Agreement to Cash Out Annual Leave.
(a) An employee has an excessive leave accrual if the employee has accrued more than 8 weeks’paid annual leave (or 10 weeks’paid annual leave for a shiftworker,as defined by clause 18.3).
(b) However,an employee may only give a notice to the employer under clause 18.9(a) if:
(d) An employee is not entitled to request by a notice under clause 18.9(a) more than 4 weeks’paid annual leave (or 5 weeks’paid annual leave for a shiftworker,as defined by clause 18.3) in any period of 12 months.
23.1 Public holiday entitlements are provided for in the NES.
23.2 Substitution of public holidays by agreement at the enterprise
Part 6—Consultation and Dispute Resolution
Part 7—Termination of Employment and Redundancy
NOTE: Sections 117 and 123 of the Act set out requirements for notice of termination by an employer under the NES. Clause 27.1 requires an employer to give a greater minimum period of notice than that generally required under the NES.
A.1 Professional responsibility levels
A.1.1 Level 1—Graduate professional includes:Graduate engineer,Graduate information technology employee and Qualified scientist
(f) Work is reviewed by higher level Professional engineers,Professional scientists or Professional information technology employees for validity,adequacy,methods and procedures. With professional development and experience,work receives less review,and the employee progressively exercises more individual judgment until Level 2 competence is achieved.
A.1.2 Graduate professional—appointment and progression
Means the pay point to which a graduate will be appointed where they possess and may be required to utilise a level of professional skill and knowledge based on either the completion of an accredited 3,4 or 5 year tertiary professional technology qualification in Australia or equivalent.
In addition to the experience,skill and knowledge requirements for Pay Point 1.1 up to one additional year of practical professional experience,with supervision as appropriate,and the undertaking of in-service training,subject to its provision by the employer.
In addition to the experience,skill and knowledge requirements for Pay Point 1.2,up to one additional year of practical professional experience,with supervision as appropriate,and the undertaking of in-service training,subject to its provision by the employer.
In addition to the core competency standards developed at Pay Point 1.2,the further development of core competency standards in the practice settings undertaken since being assessed as competent at Pay Point 1.2 measured against the prescribed performance criteria.
In addition to the experience,skill and knowledge requirements for Pay Point 1.3,up to one additional year of practical professional experience,with supervision as appropriate,and the undertaking of in-service training,subject to its provision by the employer.
In addition to the core competency standards developed at Pay Point 1.3,the further development of core competency standards in the practice settings undertaken since being assessed as competent at Pay Point 1.3 measured against the prescribed performance criteria.
A.1.3 Annual review
A.1.4 Deferral
A.1.5 Appeal and review
An employee may appeal a deferral,provided that where any such appeal results in a revocation of the employer’s decision,Pay Point progression will be deemed to operate and be payable from the employee’s anniversary date for such progression. An appeal or review,for the purpose of clause A.1.5,will be undertaken and resolved in accordance with clause 26—Dispute resolution.
A.1.6 Accelerated advancement
A.1.7 Level 2—Experienced engineer,Experienced information technology employee and Experienced scientist
A.1.8 Level 2—Quality auditor
A.1.9 Level 3—Professional
A.1.10 Level 3—Senior (lead) auditor
A.1.11 Level 4—Professional
(a) An employee at this level performs professional work involving:
(i) considerable independence in approach,demanding a considerable degree of originality,ingenuity and judgment;and
(ii) knowledge of more than one field of,or expertise (for example,acts as their organisation's technical reference authority) in a particular field of professional engineering,professional scientific/information technology field or professional information technology field.
(i) initiates or participates in short or long range planning and makes independent decisions on professional engineering,professional scientific,or information technology policies and procedures within an overall program;
Schedule B—Medical Research Employees
B.1.1 Level 1—Graduate professional medical research employee
Means the pay point to which a graduate will be appointed where they possess and may be required to utilise a level of professional skill and knowledge based on either the completion of an accredited 3,4 or 5 year tertiary qualification in Australia or equivalent.
An employee may appeal a deferral,provided that where any such appeal results in a revocation of the employer’s decision,Pay Point progression will be deemed to operate and be payable from the employee’s anniversary date for such progression. An appeal or review,for the purpose of clause B.1.5,will be undertaken and resolved in accordance with clause 26—Dispute resolution of this award.
B.1.7 Level 2—Experienced professional medical research employee
B.1.8 Level 3—Experienced medical research employee
B.1.9 Level 4—Experienced medical research employee
B.1.10 Level 5—Experienced medical research employee
Schedule C—Summary of Casual Hourly Rates of Pay
Casual minimum hourly rate
E.1 Subject to clauses X.2.1(d) and X.2.2(c),Schedule X operates from 8 April 2020 until 30 June 2020. The period of operation can be extended on application.
E.2 During the operation of Schedule X,the following provisions apply:
E.2.1 Unpaid pandemic leave
E.2.2 Annual leave at half pay
PR718539