• Section 1 - Purpose
• Section 2 - Glossary
• Section 3 - Policy
• Part A - Principles
• Part B - Conditions
• Part C - Authorisation of Personal Allowances
• Section 4 - Procedures
• Section 5 - Guidelines

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This document sets out Charles Sturt University's policy on the payment of personal allowances to attract, develop and retain high quality staff.

Scope

(2) This Policy applies to continuing or fixed-term academic and general staff of Charles Sturt University (the University).

(3) This Policy does not apply to executive staff of the University.

(4) This Policy does not apply to casual staff of the University.

Section 2 - Glossary

(5) In this Policy:

1. A personal allowance is attached to an employee, not a position, and may take the form of a market loading allowance, responsibility allowance or retention allowance. Personal allowances are not provided for in the University's Enterprise Agreement.
2. A market loading allowance may be offered at the time of recruitment to attract a person from an industry where salary rates are significantly higher than those paid by the University.
3. A responsibility allowance may be paid to an employee who has agreed to accept responsibilities beyond those expected at his/her current level of appointment.
4. A retention allowance may be paid to an employee or a cohort of employees whose skills are in short supply, as an incentive to remain in the employ of the University.

Section 3 - Policy

Part A - Principles

(6) The University aims to attract, develop and retain high quality staff in order to achieve its strategic objectives. The University recognises that remuneration is one of the considerations for attracting quality job applicants, rewarding high performing employees, and influencing employee decisions concerning rival offers from other organisations.

(7) The application of the Policy provides transparency and consistency in the payment of personal allowances to ensure equity is maintained across the University's staffing establishment.

(8) Personal allowances provide a means to maintain the integrity of the University's grading structure.

(9) Consideration is given to precedents and relativities within the Faculty/Division before the decision to pay a personal allowance is made, in order to maintain the integrity of the Faculty/Division's establishment.

Part B - Conditions

(10) To be eligible for consideration for a personal allowance, employees must hold the appropriate qualifications and/or experience for their level of appointment, as set out in the "Minimum Standards for Academic Levels" or the "Position Descriptors for General Staff".

(11) Personal allowances are funded from within the salary budget of the Faculty/Division. No additional funding is provided from central funds.

(12) Continuation of a personal allowance is subject to satisfactory performance, i.e. receiving a rating of "meets performance requirements" or higher, as determined through the Performance Management Scheme.

(13) Personal allowances are not used if the situation can be addressed within standard procedures (see clause 43 of the Personal Allowances Payment Determination Procedure). Potential remedies are identified through a preliminary assessment of the case.

Part C - Authorisation of Personal Allowances

(14) The following delegations apply to the authorisation of a personal allowance.

Section 4 - Procedures

(15) Refer to the Personal Allowances Payment Determination Procedure .

Section 5 - Guidelines

(16) Nil.