Part B – Definitions

Table of contents

In the Agreement, unless a contrary intention is clear, the following definitions apply:

Agreement Means the Department of Health and Ageing Enterprise Agreement 2011-2014.

APS Means the Australian Public Service.

Consultation Means providing Staff and their representatives with relevant information and a bona fide opportunity to influence the decision making process not only in appearance but in fact, before a decision is made.

department Means the Department of Health and Ageing.

Dependant Means in relation to a Staff member:

the Staff member’s partner; or
a child or parent of the Staff member, or of the partner of the Staff member, being a child or parent who ordinarily resides with the Staff member and who is wholly or substantially dependent upon the Staff member.

DoHA Means the Department of Health and Ageing

Family Means a person who:

is a spouse, de facto partner, including a former spouse or former de facto partner;
is a child including an adult child, adopted child, step child, or foster child;
is a parent, grandparent, grandchild or sibling of the Staff member, or the Staff member’s spouse;
has a strong affinity with the Staff member;
is a member of the Staff member’s household; or
for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Staff members, is a person related to the Staff member through traditional kinship
and includes a person of the opposite or same sex to the Staff member.

Foster child Means a child for whom the Staff member has assumed long term responsibility arising from the placement of the child by a permanent fostering arrangement:

by a person or an organisation with statutory responsibility for the placement of the child; and
where the child is expected to stay with the Staff member.

HDA Means Higher Duties Allowance, the temporary payment of an allowance where a Staff member is temporarily assigned duties at a higher classification than his or her current classification.

Health/Medical Practitioner Means a person registered or licensed as a Health/Medical Practitioner under a law of a State or Territory.

Manager Includes team leader, section head, unit head or supervisor who has been delegated by the Secretary to approve or make decisions under the Agreement.

Movement or Move Means reassignment of duties of a Staff member, whether on a temporary or permanent basis, either within the department or from/to another agency. Previously referred to as ‘transfer’.

NSPF Means the National Staff Participation Forum.

OH&S Means Occupational Health and Safety.

PDS Means the department's Performance Development Scheme.

Promotion Means the ongoing assignment of duties at a higher classification (excluding HDA) than the Staff member’s current classification, as defined in the Public Service Commissioner’s Directions 1999.

PS Act Means the Public Service Act 1999, as amended from time to time.

Representative Means a person chosen by a Staff member, or a group of Staff, to represent them, and includes but is not limited to a friend, colleague, member of the NSPF or a delegate or official of a union.

Retirement Means cessation of a Staff member’s APS employment.

Salary advancement Means movement through pay points within a salary range for a classification. These increases are salary for the purposes of superannuation.

Salary increase Means a general increase to the base salary paid to a Staff member, subject to meeting any necessary requirements under the PDS. Salary increase and increase in salary have the same meaning. These increases are salary for the purposes of determining salary for superannuation purposes.

Satisfactory evidence Satisfactory Evidence means:

a certificate from a relevant health/medical practitioner confirming a Staff member or a member of their family, for whom they have caring responsibility, has a personal illness or injury which prevents the Staff member from performing their duties; or
a statutory declaration confirming a Staff member, or a member of their family for whom they have caring responsibility, has a personal illness or injury which prevents the Staff member from performing their duties; or
for the purposes of clauses 57.9(c) and 57.9(d) a statutory declaration setting out the reason for the absence; or
a medical treatment schedule or a medical certificate for an ongoing medical condition of the Staff member, or a member of their family for whom they have caring responsibility, which cover absences for the treatment, or absences caused by the condition within a period of three months; or
other evidence which the Secretary determines is satisfactory.

Secretary Means the person who at the relevant time is performing the duties of the office of the Secretary of the department, and holding those powers provided to Agency Heads under the PS Act. A reference to the Secretary may also mean a reference to a person holding a delegation from the Secretary.

Spouse Means in relation to a Staff member:

the husband or wife of the Staff member;
the former husband or wife of the Staff member;
a person who is in a recognised de facto relationship with the Staff member;
the former de facto of the Staff member; or
the partner of the Staff member
and includes a person of the opposite or same sex to the Staff member.

Staff or Staff member Means an employee engaged by the department in a casual, non-ongoing or ongoing classification under section 22 of the PS Act.

Standard day Means ordinary hours of 7 hours and 30 minutes per day for full time Staff to be worked from 8.30 am to 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm to 5.00 pm, or 8.00 am to 12.00 midday and 1.00 pm to 4.30pm in the Northern Territory, or the agreed pattern of hours for part-time Staff. Standard Day is also used for a range of purposes including:

determining a Staff member’s hourly rate of salary
determining overtime entitlements
accrual and deduction of leave
calculating hours over the flextime settlement period.

Support person Means a person selected by the Staff member to provide support and advice during a discussion the Staff member has with the Staff member’s Manager.

Union(s) Means an industrial association registered under the terms of the relevant legislation that is entitled to represent the interests of the department’s Staff.

Voluntary retrenchment Means voluntary termination of an excess Staff member’s APS employment, also known as ‘voluntary retirement’ or ‘voluntary redundancy’.

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Agreement	Means the Department of Health and Ageing Enterprise Agreement 2011-2014.
APS	Means the Australian Public Service.
Consultation	Means providing Staff and their representatives with relevant information and a bona fide opportunity to influence the decision making process not only in appearance but in fact, before a decision is made.
department	Means the Department of Health and Ageing.
Dependant	Means in relation to a Staff member: the Staff member’s partner; or a child or parent of the Staff member, or of the partner of the Staff member, being a child or parent who ordinarily resides with the Staff member and who is wholly or substantially dependent upon the Staff member.
DoHA	Means the Department of Health and Ageing
Family	Means a person who: is a spouse, de facto partner, including a former spouse or former de facto partner; is a child including an adult child, adopted child, step child, or foster child; is a parent, grandparent, grandchild or sibling of the Staff member, or the Staff member’s spouse; has a strong affinity with the Staff member; is a member of the Staff member’s household; or for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Staff members, is a person related to the Staff member through traditional kinship and includes a person of the opposite or same sex to the Staff member.
Foster child	Means a child for whom the Staff member has assumed long term responsibility arising from the placement of the child by a permanent fostering arrangement: by a person or an organisation with statutory responsibility for the placement of the child; and where the child is expected to stay with the Staff member.
HDA	Means Higher Duties Allowance, the temporary payment of an allowance where a Staff member is temporarily assigned duties at a higher classification than his or her current classification.
Health/Medical Practitioner	Means a person registered or licensed as a Health/Medical Practitioner under a law of a State or Territory.
Manager	Includes team leader, section head, unit head or supervisor who has been delegated by the Secretary to approve or make decisions under the Agreement.
Movement or Move	Means reassignment of duties of a Staff member, whether on a temporary or permanent basis, either within the department or from/to another agency. Previously referred to as ‘transfer’.
NSPF	Means the National Staff Participation Forum.
OH&S	Means Occupational Health and Safety.
PDS	Means the department's Performance Development Scheme.
Promotion	Means the ongoing assignment of duties at a higher classification (excluding HDA) than the Staff member’s current classification, as defined in the Public Service Commissioner’s Directions 1999.
PS Act	Means the Public Service Act 1999, as amended from time to time.
Representative	Means a person chosen by a Staff member, or a group of Staff, to represent them, and includes but is not limited to a friend, colleague, member of the NSPF or a delegate or official of a union.
Retirement	Means cessation of a Staff member’s APS employment.
Salary advancement	Means movement through pay points within a salary range for a classification. These increases are salary for the purposes of superannuation.
Salary increase	Means a general increase to the base salary paid to a Staff member, subject to meeting any necessary requirements under the PDS. Salary increase and increase in salary have the same meaning. These increases are salary for the purposes of determining salary for superannuation purposes.
Satisfactory evidence	Satisfactory Evidence means: a certificate from a relevant health/medical practitioner confirming a Staff member or a member of their family, for whom they have caring responsibility, has a personal illness or injury which prevents the Staff member from performing their duties; or a statutory declaration confirming a Staff member, or a member of their family for whom they have caring responsibility, has a personal illness or injury which prevents the Staff member from performing their duties; or for the purposes of clauses 57.9(c) and 57.9(d) a statutory declaration setting out the reason for the absence; or a medical treatment schedule or a medical certificate for an ongoing medical condition of the Staff member, or a member of their family for whom they have caring responsibility, which cover absences for the treatment, or absences caused by the condition within a period of three months; or other evidence which the Secretary determines is satisfactory.
Secretary	Means the person who at the relevant time is performing the duties of the office of the Secretary of the department, and holding those powers provided to Agency Heads under the PS Act. A reference to the Secretary may also mean a reference to a person holding a delegation from the Secretary.
Spouse	Means in relation to a Staff member: the husband or wife of the Staff member; the former husband or wife of the Staff member; a person who is in a recognised de facto relationship with the Staff member; the former de facto of the Staff member; or the partner of the Staff member and includes a person of the opposite or same sex to the Staff member.
Staff or Staff member	Means an employee engaged by the department in a casual, non-ongoing or ongoing classification under section 22 of the PS Act.
Standard day	Means ordinary hours of 7 hours and 30 minutes per day for full time Staff to be worked from 8.30 am to 12.30 pm and 1.30 pm to 5.00 pm, or 8.00 am to 12.00 midday and 1.00 pm to 4.30pm in the Northern Territory, or the agreed pattern of hours for part-time Staff. Standard Day is also used for a range of purposes including: determining a Staff member’s hourly rate of salary determining overtime entitlements accrual and deduction of leave calculating hours over the flextime settlement period.
Support person	Means a person selected by the Staff member to provide support and advice during a discussion the Staff member has with the Staff member’s Manager.
Union(s)	Means an industrial association registered under the terms of the relevant legislation that is entitled to represent the interests of the department’s Staff.
Voluntary retrenchment	Means voluntary termination of an excess Staff member’s APS employment, also known as ‘voluntary retirement’ or ‘voluntary redundancy’.