Leave Entitlements

As an employee of The University of Adelaide you are entitled to apply for a range of leave. 

Applications for most types of leave are submitted through Staff Services Online, but some leave types require different booking arrangements. See leave types below for further information and consult the Enterprise Agreement for eligibility and conditions.

  • Annual Leave

    A staff member is entitled to full pay at the rate of 20 working days per year. Part time employees will be prorated.

    Annual leave will accrue progressively during a year of service and will accumulate from year to year. If a staff member is part-time the staff member will accrue annual leave on a pro-rata basis. 

    Clause 4.1.1 within the Enterprise Agreement 2023-2025

    A staff member is in excess leave balances if they have a balance of  30 working days or 35 working days for shift workers (pro rata for part time staff)
    Automatic scheduling of Academic leave applies as per clause 4.1.6 of The University of Adelaide Enterprise Agreement (as amended or replaced)

    Cashing out of Annual leave is not available

    Book leave through 

    Staff Services Online

    Annual Leave FAQ's

  • Long Service Leave

    Long Service Leave accrues at the rate of 6.5 working days for each year of service and pro-rata for a part of a year of service with the University from the first day of January 1966; 

    Long service leave can be taken at 7 years' entitlement and paid at half pay or as single days.

    Staff may be eligible to apply for recognition of prior service if previously employed by higher education or government institutions.

    Clause 4.11.1 within the Enterprise Agreement 2023-2025

    Please refer to clause 4.11.6 within the Enterprise Agreement 2023-2025 for Prior Service eligibility.

     

    A staff member is in excess leave balances if they have a balance of  80 working days - this must be reduced to 30 working days over a 2 year period (pro rata for part time staff)
    One full-time day is equal to 7.35 hours

    If the staff member has an entitlement to at least 65 days long service leave the staff member may apply to receive a payment in lieu of their long service leave entitlement (i.e. cashing out). 

    Please complete the Cashing out of Long Service Leave form

    Book leave through 

    Staff Services Online

    Long Service Leave FAQ's

  • Personal Leave/Compassionate Leave

    Personal Leave

    A staff member is entitled to leave of absence with full pay at the rate of 15 working days per year and this leave shall be cumulative without limit. Part-time staff members shall be entitled to 15 working days per year paid on a pro rata basis.

    Clause 4.2 within the Enterprise Agreement 2023-2025

    Staff members are entitled to personal leave:

    (a) if they are unfit for work because of a personal illness, or personal injury that affects them; or

    (b) to provide care or support to a member of a staff member’s family, or a member of their household, who requires care or support because of: i. a personal illness, or personal injury; or an unexpected emergency.

     

    Compassionate Leave

    Staff members are entitled to a maximum of three (3) paid days of compassionate leave for each occasion when a member of their family, or a member of their household:

    (a) contracts or develops a personal illness that poses a serious threat to his or her life; or

    (b) sustains a personal injury that poses a serious threat to his or her life; or

    (c) dies.

    A maximum of three (3) paid days of compassionate leave is also available on each occasion a staff member, or their spouse or defacto partner, has a miscarriage or where a child is stillborn where the child would have been a family member of the staff member, or member of their household if the child had been born alive. 
     

    Clause 4.3 within the Enterprise Agreement 2023-2025

     

    Book leave through 

    Staff Services Online

    Personal Leave/Compassionate Leave FAQ's

  • Special Studies Program Leave

    All academic staff members (except casuals) are eligible to participate in the University’s Special Studies Program (SSP) provided their contract of employment extends beyond the period of special studies for at least an equal period.

    clause 5.7 within the Enterprise Agreement 2023-2025

    The accrual of SSP days is not an entitlement to take SSP, which will be subject to consideration and approval process as outlined in this procedure. SSP is accrued in calendar days, not hours. 

    To apply for SSP please visit the Special Studies leave webpage

  • Leave without Pay

    Staff members may apply for a period of leave without pay. Approval will be at the discretion of the Area Manager who will determine the conditions under which it will be taken.

    Leave without pay will not normally be granted for a period exceeding two (2) years. 

    Clause 4.10 within the Enterprise Agreement 2023-2025

     

    Book leave through 

    Staff Services Online

     

    Leave without Pay FAQ's

  • Paid Parental Leave

  • Unpaid Parental Leave

    A staff member eligible to apply for unpaid parental leave may apply for the relevant type of leave specified in the table below, subject to the specific eligibility rules and requirements specified in the table for the type of unpaid parental leave.

    Clause Type of leave Entitlement Eligibility and requirements
    4.5.8.1 Unpaid Parental Leave Up to 52 weeks unpaid leave, which may be extended once by up to 52 weeks.
     
    Note 1: A staff member’s request for an extension must only be refused on reasonable business grounds.
     
    Note 2: If both paid and unpaid parental leave is taken, the total aggregate of leave must not exceed 104 weeks.
     
    Note 3: A staff member may take 30 days of unpaid parental leave flexibly in accordance with the NES within two years of the birth of the child. 

    Eligibility
    Available to a staff member if the leave is associated with: 

    • the birth of a child of the staff member or the staff member’s spouse or de facto partner; or 
    • the placement of a child with the staff member for adoption; 
    • and the staff member has or will have primary responsibility for the care of the child.

     
    Unpaid Parental Leave is also available to a staff member if the leave is associated with:

    • a stillbirth; or
    • death of a child within 24 months of its birth.

     
    Requirements
    The staff member must provide at least 10 weeks written notice of their intention to take unpaid parental leave, including the intended start and end dates. If that is not practicable the staff member must give such notice as soon as practicable. 
     
    Requests for an extension must be made to the staff member's supervisor at least four (4) weeks before the end of the initial unpaid leave period.
     
    The staff member must provide evidence of their eligibility if requested.
     
    Any extension must commence immediately following the end of the initial period of unpaid parental leave.
     
    Unpaid parental leave may be taken concurrently with paid parental leave.

    4.5.8.2 Unpaid Pre-Adoption Leave Up to two (2) days unpaid leave as agreed with the staff member’s supervisor. Eligibility
    Available to staff members where no other leave is available at the time.
     
    May be used for the purposes of attending interviews or examinations required in order to obtain approval for adoption of the child.
     
    Requirements

    The staff member must provide evidence of their eligibility to take the leave if requested by their supervisor.
     
    Notice of intention to take the leave must be provided as soon as practicable.
    4.5.8.3 Unpaid Special Maternity Leave

    The extent of this entitlement is determined on a case-by-case basis.

    Available to a female staff member if she is unfit for work during the period of leave because:
    1. of a pregnancy-related illness; or
    2. a pregnancy ends within 28 weeks of the expected date of birth of the child otherwise than by the birth of the child.

  • Family and Domestic Violence Leave

    All staff members (including casuals) are entitled to ten (10) days of paid family and domestic violence leave in a 12-month period. This leave is available in full at the beginning of each 12-month period of the staff member’s employment and does not accumulate each year.
     
    Clause 4.4 within the Enterprise Agreement 2023-2025

    Information regarding the leave entitlement, support and how to submit a leave request is available on our Family and Domestic Violence webpage.

    Book leave under 'Special Leave - Other' in SSO or through a timesheet for casual staff.

    Staff Services Online 

  • Community Service Leave

    Jury Service Leave

    If a staff member is required to attend for jury service, they will be granted leave at ordinary pay for the purpose of doing so but will forfeit to the University any jury fee received other than daily incidentals. This leave includes necessary travelling.

    Witness Leave

    If a staff member is required to appear as a witness in any case they will be granted leave at ordinary pay for the purpose of doing so, but will forfeit to the University any witness fee received other than daily incidentals. This leave includes necessary travelling.

    Voluntary Emergency Management Leave

    Staff members are entitled in any one (1) year period to take up to five (5) days paid leave for the purpose of undertaking voluntary emergency management activities, such as emergency or natural disaster.

    Clause 4.6 within the Enterprise Agreement 2023-2025

     

    Book leave under 'Community Service Leave - Jury Service' or 'Witness Services' or 'Emergency Management' through

    Staff Services Online

    Other leave FAQ's

  • Defence Leave

    Staff members will be entitled to an annual maximum paid period of leave of 20 working days to enable them to engage in training as a member of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) Reserve and it is recognised that additional leave may be required for special instruction.

    Clause 4.12 within the Enterprise Agreement 2023-2025

     

    Book leave under 'Community Service Leave - Defence Force Service' through 

    Staff Services Online

  • Cultural Obligation Leave

    Staff members are entitled in any one (1) year period to take up to a total of three (3) working days paid leave for absences for the purpose of fulfilling cultural requirements and obligations that are a recognised part of their identified or adopted culture or one with which the staff member’s partner, family and/or community group identifies.

    Clause 4.7 within the Enterprise Agreement 2023-2025

     

    Book leave under 'Special Leave - Cultural Obligation' through 

    Staff Services Online

    Other leave FAQ's

  • Trade Union Training Leave

    A staff member may take up to ten (10) working days leave over any two-year working period:

    a) to attend short trade union training courses or seminars 

    b) to allow an elected work site union representative to conduct official union business that requires their personal attendance.

    Clause 4.9 within the Enterprise Agreement 2023-2025 

     

    Book leave under 'Special Leave - Trade Union Training' through

    Staff Services Online

  • Moving House Day

    Staff members are entitled in any one (1) year period to take one (1) working day paid leave for the purpose of moving from their primary residence.

    Clause 4.8 within the Enterprise Agreement 2023-2025

     

    Book leave under 'Special Leave - Moving House Day' through 

    Staff Services Online

  • Special Leave

    Staff members may be entitled to take up to a total of three (3) working days as special paid leave in each calendar year for absences caused by emergency circumstances.

    Clause 4.8 within the Enterprise Agreement 2023-2025

     

    Book leave under 'Special Leave - Other' through 

    Staff Services Online

  • Gender Affirmation Leave

    Gender diverse staff members are eligible to apply for gender affirmation leave to support them to affirm their gender in a safe, positive and inclusive manner. Leave is subject to the specific eligibility rules and requirements specified in the table below:

    Clause Type of Leave Entitlement Eligibility and Requirements
    4.8.2 Gender Affirmation Leave 40 days over life of employment

    Leave may be taken for legal and/or medical purposes related to the affirmation process
     

    Requirements

    A staff member must have at least 12 months continuous service immediately prior to taking the leave

     Leave Application Form (PDF/Word)