Defence reserves forces leave for courses of instruction

This section is to be read in conjuction with Schedule 5(i) - Defence Reserve Forces Leave of the Monash University Enterprise Agreement (Academic and General Staff) 2005 or, where applicable, the provisions of the relevant AWA Terms and Benefits Policy.

Appropriate salaries action needs to be authorised by the Human Resources Division in these circumstances.

Employer support payment scheme - defence forces

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) provides direct financial benefits to employers under its Reserves Employer Support Payment (ESP) Scheme. The University is an eligible employer under the Scheme.

All claims for payment under the Scheme must meet the ADF criteria. Full details of eligibility for payment and to download a claim form can be accessed at the Australian Defence Force Reserves website. The Employee Relations and Consultancy Branch should be contacted if additional assistance is required.

Summary of eligibility criteria

The staff member must be absent from duty on military training leave(with or without pay) as specified in Schedule 5(i) - Defence Reserve Forces Leave of the Monash University Enterprise Agreement (Academic and General Staff) 2005 (or, where applicable, the provisions of the relevant AWA Terms and Benefits Policy) in order for the University to claim Employer Support Payments.

Defence Service for payment of the ESP must be either:

Ordinary Reserve Service - service undertaken as part of normal peace time training;
Voluntary continuous full-time service - service where a Reserve member voluntarily gives an undertaking to render full-time service and such service has been designated as protected service.

A staff member must complete a qualifying period of 14 days of continuous defence service followed by subsequent periods of continuous defence service. The qualifying period can be undertaken as a single period or as multiple periods of continuous defence service as long as each period of continuous defence service is a minimum of five consecutive days.

Claim for payment

Prior to the commencement of continuous Defence service, the staff member should give his/her supervisor the relevant sections of the ADF Reserve Employer Support Scheme - Employer's Claim Form.

The amount payable under the Scheme is equivalent to the Average Weekly full-time Ordinary Time Earnings (AWOTE) utilising Trend Estimates for February as published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Payment is made by direct deposit into the nominated University bank account and is taxable in the hands of the University in accordance with normal taxation requirements.

A completed claim form (Form AD 138 - ADF Reserve Employer Support Payment Scheme - Employer's Claim) must be forwarded to the Department of Defence within six months from commencement of the military training.