Section 3 - Allowances and reimbursements

Updated: 6 May 2024

Community language allowance

  1. A community language allowance will be paid where the Electoral Commissioner determines that an employee is regularly required to use their ability to communicate in Braille or a language other than English (including First Nations languages and AUSLAN) in the course of their work, and the employee meets the required level of competency set by the Electoral Commissioner. Further information is included in policy.
  2. The allowance is paid in accordance with the employee’s level of competency outlined in Table 1 below.

Table 1: Community language allowance rates

Rate

Standard

Rate from commencement of the agreement

Rate from 13 March 2025

Rate from 12 March 2026

1

An employee who has adequate language skills, as determined by an individual or body approved by the Electoral Commissioner, for simple communication.

$1,435
per annum

$1,490
per annum

$1,541
per annum

2

An employee who is certified by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) as a Translator or Interpreter at any level; or is assessed to be at the equivalent level by an individual or body approved by the Electoral Commissioner.

$2,870
per annum

$2,979
per annum

$3,080
per annum

  1. The allowance is calculated annually and paid fortnightly.
  2. The full allowance is payable regardless of flexible work and part-time arrangements.
  3. The allowance is payable during periods of paid leave.
  4. The allowance counts as salary for superannuation purposes and for calculating retirement and redundancy entitlements.

Emergency duty allowance

  1. An APS 1-6 employee who is not on-call and is directed by the Electoral Commissioner to perform emergency duty, will be paid double time for all hours worked, including any necessary travel time. The minimum payment for such work will be 3 hours.

Higher duties allowance

  1. Where a role needs to be filled for 2 or more working weeks, higher duties allowance will be paid to any employee temporarily occupying the role acting at a classification level higher than their substantive classification level.
  2. Higher duties allowance will be equal to the difference between the employee’s current salary and the salary that would be payable if they were promoted to the higher classification level, or a higher amount determined by the Electoral Commissioner.
  3. Where an employee is found to be eligible for salary progression at their acting classification level, they will receive an appropriate increase in the rate of higher duties allowance. The employee’s salary level will be retained for all future periods of acting regardless of elapsed time.
  4. Where an employee is assigned only part of the higher duties, the Electoral Commissioner will determine the amount of allowance payable.
  5. Higher duties allowance will be payable while an employee is acting at a higher classification level as part of a job sharing arrangement where the duration of the arrangement is at least 2 working weeks.
  6. The Electoral Commissioner may shorten the qualifying period for higher duties allowance on a case-by-case basis.

Multiple divisional site management allowance

  1. Subject to clause 76, an employee directed by the Electoral Commissioner to perform the full duties of a Divisional Office Manager for 2 or more Divisions, at 2 or more locations, for 2 or more continuous working weeks will receive a total gross payment of $111.25 for each completed 10 days of work.
  2. Any paid or unpaid leave taken during a period in which the employee is directed in accordance with clause 75 will not count as a day(s) of work for the purpose of calculating this payment unless the Electoral Commissioner approves otherwise.

On-call allowance

  1. An allowance will be paid to APS 1-6 employees directed by the Electoral Commissioner to be contactable, fit and available to work for a specified period outside the bandwidth (on-call).
  2. Subject to clause 77, the rates in Table 2 below will apply for each hour an employee is required to be on-call, calculated as a percentage of the employee’s hourly base rate of pay.

Table 2: On-call allowance rates

Period

On-call rate

Monday to Friday

7.5%

Weekends

10%

Public holidays and Christmas closedown

15%

Payment for APS level employees required to perform duties while in receipt of the on-call allowance

  1. Where an on-call employee is required to perform duties after taking a call, overtime rates will be paid in accordance with clause 166 for the hours in which they perform work. The minimum payment for overtime purposes will be 3 hours.
  2. For the purposes of clause 79, an employee is considered to have started performing work from when they commence work, after taking a call. This will include reasonable travel time, should the employee be required to travel.
  3. The Electoral Commissioner may approve payment of an on-call allowance, and any subsequent overtime payment for work resulting from a call, to an Executive Level (EL) employee in exceptional circumstances.
  4. Subject to clause 81, the highest pay increment for an APS 6 will be used for the purpose of calculating the on-call allowance.
  5. An employee will cease receiving an on-call allowance when they commence work in accordance with clause 79. In circumstances where there is a conflict between the on-call allowance and another entitlement, the more beneficial entitlement will apply. For example, an employee who commences work half-way through the hour will be paid overtime for that hour, instead of the on-call allowance.

Overtime meal allowance

  1. An employee will be paid an overtime meal allowance when they are directed by the Electoral Commissioner to:
    1. work overtime for a continuous period to the completion of, or beyond, a meal period; and
    2. they have taken take an unpaid meal break of at least 30 minutes duration in accordance with clause 133.2, (this may occur immediately after the employee finishes work if the employee has not had the opportunity to take an unpaid meal break).
  2. A meal period for the purposes of clause 84 means any of the following periods:
    1. 7am to 9am; or
    2. 12pm to 2pm; or
    3. 6pm to 7pm; or
    4. 12am to 1am.
  3. Overtime meal allowance is payable only in relation to actual additional hours worked and not where a minimum overtime payment in effect pays an employee for a period that spans a meal break.
  4. Subject to clause 84, an EL employee is eligible to receive an overtime meal allowance, regardless of whether overtime has been paid or not.
  5. Overtime meal allowance will be paid in accordance with the applicable Australian Taxation Office Determination.
  6. The Electoral Commissioner may authorise the advance payment of a meal allowance through petty cash in emergency situations.

Professional allowance

  1. The Electoral Commissioner, subject to evidence, will reimburse an employee for costs specifically related to improving or maintaining an employee’s qualifications, professional membership, accreditations, or skills that are essential to their current duties.

Reimbursement for loss or damage

  1. The Electoral Commissioner, subject to evidence, may reimburse an employee for loss or damage to clothing or personal effects that occurred in the course of their duties.

Workplace responsibility allowances

  1. A workplace responsibility allowance will be paid where the AEC has appointed or where an employee has been elected by eligible peers to one of the following roles:
    1. First Aid Officer;
    2. Health and Safety Representative;
    3. Emergency Warden;
    4. Harassment Contact Officer; and
    5. Mental Health First Aid Officer.
  2. An employee is not to receive more than one workplace responsibility allowance unless approved by the Electoral Commissioner due to operational requirements.
  3. The workplace responsibility allowance rates are provided in Table 3 below.

Table 3: Workplace responsibility allowance rates

Rate from commencement of the agreement

Rate from 13 March 2025

Rate from 12 March 2026

$30.51 per fortnight

$31.67 per fortnight

$32.75 per fortnight
  1. As a salary-related allowance, this value will continue to be increased in line with headline wage increases. These increases are incorporated in the rates in the table above.
  2. The full allowance is payable regardless of flexible work and part-time arrangements.
  3. Casual employees who are eligible to receive a workplace responsibility allowance will be paid the full amount (noting the minimum rate), as varied from time to time, provided they engage in work during any given pay cycle, irrespective of the frequency and duration of the work undertaken.
  4. An employee’s physical availability to undertake the role will be considered by the AEC when appointing and reappointing employees to these roles. This is noting that not all workplace responsibility roles will necessarily require a physical presence in the workplace for the role to be successfully undertaken, such as Harassment Contact Officers, Mental Health First Aid Officers and Health and Safety Representatives depending on work group arrangements.