These procedures are applicable to: all DECD employees. Further information DECD Human Resources and Workforce Development
DOCUMENT CONTROL Managed by: Human Resources and Workforce Development Responsible Director, position: Workforce Management Version: V1.3 Contact person: David Wasley Approved by: Executi ve Director Human Resources File number: DECS 2006/5454 Contact position: Senior Policy Officer Date approved: 26 October 2011 Status: Approved Contact number: 08 8226 1858 Next review date: 26 October 2012 Security classification: Unclassified REVISION RECORD Date Version Revision description 1 April 2010 V1.1 Procedures updated to incorporate updated Monthl y Leave Return system and procedures 26 October 2011 V1.2 Departmental name and logo change 1 Feb 2012 V1.3 Consistent use of the term procedures
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EMPLOYEE ATTENDANCE AND TIME WORKED RECORDS PROCEDURES
All record forms referred to in this document can be downloaded at: www.DECD.sa.gov.au (Information for Staff / Human Resources / Attendances).
1. ATTENDANCE RECORDS
1.1 Coverage: All DECD Employees Commissioners Standard #2 Quality Staffing and the Fair Work Act 1994 require that each government agency must ensure appropriate attendance records are maintained for all employees. The DECD employee attendance procedure requires that Principals, Pre- school Directors and managers at non school sites are able to verify employees attendance and location either on or off site, and appropriate attendance records are available for all employees. This procedure formalises existing practices in most DECD work locations. It endorses common sense practices to ensure the work safety of our employees, correct payment, and managers responsibility to authorise and record appropriate leave entitlements.
1.2 Definitions School/Preschool - Any school or preschool including Childrens Centres, college, or other education institution where student learning occurs. Non School Site State and District Offices and other sites where DECD employees are engaged in administration and support activities outside of a school or preschool setting. Authorised Manager The DECD employee with management responsibility for attendance and timekeeping at a school/preschool or non school site. The authorised manager must be a person with line management responsibility for employees. For schools and preschools the authorised manager will be the Principal, School Administration Officer and Preschool Director. For non school sites the authorised manager will be the manager with delegated responsibility for employee leave and timekeeping. Attendance Record A record of an employee being on duty at a designated place of work. Time Worked A record of the hours worked on a given day by an employee, used for the purposes of managing flexible work hours as prescribed in a relevant award or industrial agreement.
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1.3 Attendance Records Procedures The attendance procedures at each school, preschool and non-school site need to be documented, and employees made aware of the requirement to record attendance and leave taken. These procedures and attendance records must be made available for auditing, if required. At a minimum a system for recording attendance must have: A record (manual or electronic) that can be relied on to verify that an employee was in attendance on a given day. Procedures that are documented and are consistently applied in practice. Existing arrangements that meet the minimum requirements for attendance records are: Systems for recording staff absences commonly found in schools Time clocks and timesheet recording systems commonly found in State and District Offices Diary records (electronic or manual) commonly used by senior staff and Seconded Teachers that are maintained on a daily basis and that can be relied on to verify attendance. Where such systems are in place and are consistently and regularly maintained no further action is required. If attendance recording procedures for employees are currently not in place an appropriate system must be implemented. Where an employee works off site, or where there are no other practical options for implementation of a system for recording attendance that meets the minimum standards an individual employee attendance record can be used. A sample attendance sheet for an individual employee is: (VL063 Attendance Sheet) When an attendance sheet has been completed by the individual employee it should be endorsed by the authorised manager.
1.4 Approval and Recording of Leave Employees are responsible for completing any relevant leave application forms and submitting those forms to the authorised manager for approval The authorised manager is to forward approved leave application forms to Shared Services SA Payroll before leave is taken, or as soon as possible after leave is taken. The site manager is required, each month, to check attendance/absentee records and leave forms for all employees against the online Monthly Leave Return for schools and corporate sites, or the manual VL034 Monthly Leave Return for preschools. The manager for schools and corporate then checks and certifies the online Monthly Leave. The preschool manager is to submit the manual VL034 Monthly Leave Return to Employee Services for
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reconciliation with individual leave applications received and recorded in the payroll system. (Online Monthly Leave Return; which is accessible online via the Eduportal from this link www.eduportal.sa.edu.au and selecting HR Management Information (HRS). Or Manual VL034 Monthly Leave Return)
1.5 Bona Fide Certificate The Bona Fide Certificate (BFC) is a control for ensuring the efficient monitoring of the employment of personnel within work sites and for checking the accuracy of the pay and personnel information of employees attached to respective work sites within DECD. Authorised Managers of schools and corporate sites are required to fulfil their responsibilities in relation to checking their BFC and reporting any discrepancies to the responsible unit using the Online Bona Fide Certificates, which accessed online via Eduportal and the HR Management Information system (HRS). Eduportal is accessible from this link www.eduportal.sa.edu.au
Or
Authorised Managers of preschools are required to fulfil their responsibilities in relation to checking their BFC and reporting any discrepancies to the responsible unit using the Manual Bona Fide Certificates. BFCs are produced and forwarded to worksites on a fortnightly basis. The BFC Procedures can be accessed from HR18 Bona Fide Certificate Policy and Worksite Procedures
2. TIME WORKED RECORDS 2.1 Coverage: Nominated DECD Employees Some DECD employees are covered by industrial awards that prescribe either their minimum or maximum ordinary hours of work and the span of hours in which those hours are to be worked. To ensure that those hours are worked and paid for, the authorised manager is responsible for maintaining actual time worked records. Employees in this category are shown below. CATEGORY A EMPLOYEES: (those who must record times for the purpose of flexible working time arrangements) PS Act employees (excluding Executives & Directors) SSOs (School and non-School) ECWs AEWs (School and non-School) Weekly Paid Employees eg. grounds persons Other categories of employees are either covered by industrial awards that do not prescribe hours of work (eg. Teachers) or are non-award (eg. Executives).
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These employees are deemed to work no fixed hours and therefore a specific time record is not required. Employees in this category are shown below. CATEGORY B EMPLOYEES: (those not required to record times) Executives & Directors Section 101B appointments (other than ancillary staff) Teachers (including Seconded Teachers, Coordinators, Principals, Preschool Directors, District Directors) School Bus Drivers (paid per kilometre) Claim Paid Employees (Hourly Paid Instructors, Temporary Relieving Teachers, Swimming & Aquatic Instructors, Early Childhood Relief Workers) However, it is expected that all business units will have documented records that evidence the absences of their employees in accordance with the State Records Act 1997. Managers are to immediately notify Shared Services SA Payroll of any employees who have not completed their allocated working hours using the Debit Time Bank Hours form. (VL514 - Debit Time Bank Hours)
2.2 Flexible Working Time Arrangements for employees who record daily hours worked (Category A employees) The implementation of DECD flexible working time arrangements is a locally managed process. If employees are on flexible working time arrangements (time-bank, TOIL or flexitime) then managers must ensure that all working times are recorded. In most instances this is already being done in DECD via flexi recording equipment or timesheets. If employees are not on flexible working time arrangements (i.e. they work fixed hours or fixed days) they need to provide attendance records (see 1.3). Procedures Time-bank/TOIL in schools and pre-schools A sample timesheet for an individual employee is: (VL096 Time Sheet) Time Sheets are to be used to record employee attendance and absence details. Appropriate leave application forms must be forwarded to Shared Services SA Payroll. When a timesheet has been completed by the individual employee it should be endorsed by the authorised manager, and retained in the record system of the work unit. Individual timesheets should not be sent to the Employee Services Unit.
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Flexitime for PS Act employees For employees on flexitime provisions, attendance and hours worked must be recorded on a flexi-time record sheet. A sample flexi-time record sheet is: (VL064 Flexi-Time Adjustment Sheet) Adjustments to attendance and hours worked are to be recorded on the flexi- time adjustment sheets via adjustment slips, together with accompanying leave application forms, where appropriate. Adjustment Slips are to be attached to the sites flexitime adjustment sheet, and duly completed leave application forms forwarded to Shared Services SA Payroll. A sample flexitime adjustment slip is: (VL695 Flexitime Adjustment Slip) Authorised Managers must certify their sites flexitime adjustment sheet and retain in the record system of the work unit. The original sheet with attached flexitime adjustment slips is to be retained at the work site for at least 7 years. Authorised managers must check their staffs leave against the online Monthly Leave Returns for leave reconciliation. Note: Managers are to immediately notify Shared Services SA Payroll of any employees who have not completed their allocated working hours using the Debit Time Bank Hours form. (VL514 - Debit Time Bank Hours)
2.3 Category B Employees are not required to record times worked Each local manager must ensure that the attendance procedures for their site are documented and employees made aware of these procedures and of the requirement to record leave taken (refer to 1.3). Note: Managers are to immediately notify Shared Services SA Payroll of any employees who have not completed their allocated working hours using the Debit Time Bank Hours form. (VL514 - Debit Time Bank Hours)
3. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Authorised Managers Establish and maintain appropriate systems and processes for recording attendance as required by these procedures Approve and forward leave application forms to Shared Services SA Payroll as soon as possible to ensure accurate processing Check and certify the online monthly leave or forward a VL034 to Employee Services for leave reconciliation. Ensure leave forms are submitted where omissions are identified. Complete the bona fide certificate online or manually and promptly notify any discrepancies to the responsible unit/s.
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Maintain local records consistent with statutory requirements for management and retention of records. Employees To apply and gain approval for leave in advance wherever practicable. To notify the authorised manager of any absence from the workplace at the earliest time practicable or no later than the commencement of normal business hours on the day of the absence. Where the nature or sudden onset of sickness makes it impracticable to give the notice before the period begins, the notice may be provided no later than 24 hours after the period begins. To fill out leave forms and provide appropriate sickness certificates within 2 days of return to work.
4. IMPLEMENTATION These procedures took effect from 1 April 2010.