Defence and Community Service
Disclaimer: The positions outlined on this page are proposals only and remain subject to ongoing bargaining. These positions are subject to change through bargaining and do not represent final agreed outcomes or create new employee entitlements.
The Commonwealth recognises that it's important to support employees who choose to serve the community as a member of the Defence Reserve Force, a Cadet Officer or instructor without disadvantaging them at work.
That's why we're proposing changes to enhance commonality, give employees greater certainty and strengthen our commitment to the APS Employee Value Proposition. These changes further position the APS as a model employer.
These positions are not final, and we are still working with bargaining representatives on drafting and negotiating in good faith.
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To find out more about the Commonwealth’s preliminary position on supporting Defence service, contact your APS bargaining representative or Agency Lead Negotiator.
Defence Reserve, Cadet Officer and Instructor leave
Defence Reserve leave supports APS employees to serve in the Australian Defence Force Reserves while maintaining their APS employment. Defence Cadet Officer and Instructor leave, supports APS employees to participate as Cadet Officers and Instructors. This leave previously fell under the title of Defence Reservist Leave, which has been changed to explicitly describe the types of Defence service that is supported by this leave.
The Chief Negotiator is proposing to give you greater certainty and amend the common condition for Defence Reserve and Cadet Officer and Instructor leave to clarify how periods of unpaid reserve leave are treated for the accrual of leave entitlements and continuity of service.
Defence service sick leave
You should be able to access Defence service sick leave without unnecessary complexity when you are unwell or injured because of your qualifying Defence service.
The Chief Negotiator is proposing to simplify the evidence requirements for chronic conditions by aligning them with those that apply to Personal/Carer’s Leave. This reduces administrative barriers for Veterans accessing this leave type.
The proposed clause expands the evidence requirement for an absence due to a DVA certified condition from a recognised medical practitioner to a registered health practitioner. This means a wider range of health professionals can provide certificates for your absence. For example, only a psychologists or psychiatrists are classified as a medical practitioners. Registered health practitioners, however, extend to include registered therapists.
The Chief Negotiator is also proposing to include Defence Service sick leave as a type of leave that is portable between APS agencies meaning you won’t lose this entitlement if you change APS agencies.
These changes make it easier for you to understand what your entitlements are, what evidence you need to provide as well as making it more practical to access leave when you need it.
Re-crediting of leave
We recognise that circumstances can change, and you shouldn’t normally be worse off because of the type of leave you initially accessed.
The Chief Negotiator is proposing an expansion to the common condition to cover additional re-crediting arrangements, including when the employee takes Defence service sick leave and personal/carer’s leave. The proposal also adds leave to attend proceedings as a substitute leave option, allowing eligible leave to be re-credited where you meet the requirements.
This will give you greater flexibility and certainty when your circumstances change, while providing a clearer and more consistent approach across the APS.