Allowances
For policy information regarding the provisions relating to the payment of the allowances below refer to
the relevant topic on HRWeb.
Set out below are the procedures applicable to payment of the following allowances:
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Higher duties
Special payments
Leave Purchase Allowance
Student teacher supervision
First aid
Intensive care
Special schools
Remote
For details on entering an allowance, refer to the eduPay User Guide available on eduGate: Allowances
Any documentation should be placed on the employee’s personnel file.
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Higher duties (teaching service)
Principals and Assistant Principals
Higher duties for an employee who is a substantive principal or assistant principal are not to be
processed in the school but are to be forwarded to Schools HR Services for processing.
Step 1 Follow the selection process described on the HRWeb page: Higher Duties
Step 2 Where a principal is to be paid higher duties, forward the details to the Regional Director who
will authorise the payment and advise Schools HR Services to process the payment. The
principal (or Regional Director in the principal’s absence) may authorise higher duties for the
assistant principal. The principal advises Schools HR for processing.
Other school employees
Schools are responsible for processing higher duties allowances for teaching staff acting in assistant
principal and leading teacher positions and higher duties for education support class employees.
The following points should be noted in relation to the processing and payment of higher duties:
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Effective from 1 July 2013 teachers acting in principal class positions, the higher duties amount
that is paid is the difference between the employee’s substantive salary and 91.3% of the
minimum remuneration level of the higher position.
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In some instances periods of leave may affect higher duty payments, and the necessary
adjustments should be made on the payroll.
Allowance Administration Procedures
Last updated 12 November 2015
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When an employee’s salary changes due to a global salary increase, the higher duty amount will
be automatically recalculated.
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When an employee’s salary changes due to salary progression (through the common
progression cycle on 1 May), the higher duty amount is not automatically increased on eduPay.
An employee acting in a higher position as at 1 May in a given year may progress at the higher
level (effective from 1 May) provided the employee has at least 6 months (182 calendar days)
of eligible service (aggregate or continuous) at the higher level and receives a satisfactory
performance assessment at the higher level.
A calculator is available to identify if an employee is eligible for progression at the higher level. This
calculator is available on HRWeb at: Higher Duties Progression Calculator.
If further assistance is required, contact Schools HR Services.
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Where an employee (with the exception of a principal class employee) who is a member of the
Revised or New superannuation scheme receives higher duties continuously for more than 12
months, the allowance becomes part of their superable salary; it is not necessary to use a
specific code to record this on eduPay.
Calculation and Payment of Higher Duties Amount
Step 1 Following the completion of the selection process, the principal approves payment of the
allowance. A pro-forma that may be used by the school for this purpose is available at: Forms –
Teaching Service.
Step 2 Determine the appropriate HD payroll code information for the higher level position from the
Appendix in the eduPay User Guide: Allowances.
Step 3 Update the payroll in the Higher Duties Message Text section only, with the Job Code, Step and
Grade of the higher level position. The amount will be automatically calculated. No data entry is
required in the Calculation Information fields. For details on inserting & amending a higher
duties allowance, refer to the Allowances User Guide.
Step 4 Confirm correct entry in the certification messages the next day and verify any over or
underpayments that may result.
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Allowances Administration Procedures
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Special payments (teachers, paraprofessionals and education support class)
Following the completion of the selection process for a task-related special payment or where it has
been determined that an attraction or retention special payment is to be paid, the principal approves
payment of the allowance.
Step 1 Check the current allowance details of the employee on the payroll to ensure duplicate
payments are not made.
Prior to recording a special payment, determine which of the following allowance codes is
appropriate in the circumstances:
Note:
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Use SPECIAL PAY (Special Payment) where the employee is to receive a special payment
paid fortnightly.
o
Use SPECIAL LUMP (Special Payment – Lump Sum) where the special payment is to be
paid in one or more lump sums (Note: if both start and end dates are entered, this will
appear on the employee’s pay advice).
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Use SPEC ATTRACT (Special Payment (Attraction)) or SPEC RETENTN (Special Payment
(Retention) as appropriate, where this is the type of payment to be made.
Where an employee who is a member of the Revised or New superannuation scheme receives a
fortnightly special payment continuously for more than 12 months, the allowance becomes
part of their superable salary; it is not necessary to use a specific code to record this on eduPay.
Step 2 Update the payroll using the appropriate allowance code as per Step 1.
For information on entering a fortnightly special payment, refer to the eduPay User Guide
available on eduGate: Allowances.
For information on entering a lump sum special payment (processed as a one-off payment)
refer to the eduPay User Guide on eduGate: One-off Payments.
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Leave Purchase Allowance (education support class)
An education support class employee who is paid the leave purchase allowance will have his or her
additional paid leave reduced accordingly.
The leave purchase allowance would normally be paid on a fortnightly basis when attendance
requirements are regular and known in advance. The leave purchase allowance would normally be paid
as a lump sum when attendance is expected to be six days or less in any one year or is likely to be
intermittent. The leave purchase allowance can be paid as a lump sum in any other circumstances where
agreed between the principal and the employee.
Where an attendance requirement was specified in the advertised vacancy or where the Principal and
employee have agreed to a regular attendance requirement, a leave purchase allowance should be
entered as part of the hire/rehire process on eduPay (refer to the eduPay User Guide on eduGate:
Allowances).
Step 1 Determine the requirement for the Leave Purchase Allowance to be paid, and whether it is to
be paid fortnightly (regular) or lump sum (ad-hoc) and the required hours.
Allowances Administration Procedures
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Step 2 For the Fortnightly (regular) allowance, enter the annual attendance hours using Element
Assignment. An end date for the allowance is only required for fixed term employees. Enter the
full-time equivalent hours the employee is to attend (eduPay will adjust for time fraction).
Step 3 Where Lump Sum (ad-hoc) allowance is to be paid, retrospectively amend any leave that has
already been recorded during the relevant school vacation period to reflect the employee’s
attendance during that vacation period. Refer to the Annual Leave page and associated
Administration procedures on the HRWeb page: Annual Leave
For the Lump Sum (ad-hoc) Allowance, enter the allowance using the Positive Input page. Enter
the actual hours the employee has attended.
An employee cannot be paid the Leave Purchase Allowance for more hours than they are scheduled to
work during any given fortnight. For example, an employee who works 38 hours per fortnight cannot
receive more than 38 hours Leave Purchase Allowance (Regular or Ad-hoc).
An employee cannot be paid the Leave Purchase Allowance, fortnightly or lump sum, individually or in
combination, for more than 30 days (228 hours) pro-rata by time fraction in a year.
The Ad-Hoc Leave Purchase Allowance cannot be paid for more hours than there are available
entitlements. See the Leave Administration procedures above for further information.
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Pre-service teacher practicum payments (teachers)
Step 1 Where a pre-service teacher practicum payment is to be made to a teacher, update the payroll,
using the Positive Input code TEACHER PRAC. The start and end dates used on the payroll
should be within the current pay fortnight (the start date and end date can be the same).
First aid allowance (education support class)
Step 1 The principal determines the recipient/s and period of the allowance to be paid
Step 2 Update the payroll, using the code FIRSTAID. The percentage of duties performed field will
always be 100%. The allowance end date must be the expiry date of the employee’s first aid
certificate.
The first aid allowance is automatically paid proportionate to the employee’s total time fraction.
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Allowances Administration Procedures
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Intensive Care Allowance (education support class)
Step 1 Upon commencement of an employee in this role, the principal advises them of their eligibility
for an allowance and authorises payment.
Step 2 Update the payroll, using the code INTENSCARE. The percentage of duties performed field will
always be 100%.
The allowance is automatically paid proportionate to the employee’s total time fraction.
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Special Schools Allowance (teachers and paraprofessionals)
Step 1 Upon commencement of an employee, the principal advises them of their eligibility for an
allowance and authorises payment.
Step 2 Update the payroll, using the code SPECIAL SCH. The percentage of duties performed field will
always be 100%.
The Department’s payroll system will automatically pro-rata the allowance based on the employee’s
total time fraction.
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Remote schools allowance (teaching service)
Step 1 eduPay will determine eligibility based on the base school’s location and will automatically
commence the Remote Schools allowance (no dependants) on appointment to the school.
Step 2 Determine if employee is eligible for Remote Schools allowance (with dependants).
Step 3 Where applicable, update eduPay with the code REMOTE DPNDT to add the “dependants”
remote allowance.
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Allowances Administration Procedures
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