Unattachment Policy

1. Purpose

To ensure that the unattachment of permanent employees meets CIT business and human resources requirements and is conducted in accordance with the ACT Public Sector Management Act 1994 and the ACT Public Sector Management Standards 2016.

2. Scope

Managers with the delegation to unattach permanent employees under the ACT Public Sector Management Act 1994.

3. Principles

3.1 Unattachment is the permanent removal of a permanent employee from their substantive position.

3.2 Unattachment is automatic when a position is reclassified or abolished. Except where unattachment of a permanent employee is automatic, the consent of the employee to become unattached is required.

3.3 Unattachment powers must be exercised in a fair and non-discriminatory manner.

3.4 An unattached employee has the classification of the substantive office held immediately before becoming unattached.

3.5 Unattachment may be appropriate where the permanent employee will be absent from the work area for an extended period of time. This may be in circumstances including, but not limited to:

1. long term temporary transfers to another work area
2. leave without pay in excess of 12 months
3. leave with pay prior to proceeding on extended leave without pay.

3.6 Approval for the employee to be absent from their substantive position for an extended period, for whatever reason, may be conditional upon the employee agreeing to become unattached from their substantive position.

3.7 An unattached employee remains the prime responsibility of the work area from which they were made unattached. However, if due to operational reasons it is not possible to place the unattached employee on their return, the work area may transfer the employee to another area of CIT in a position at the same classification level and appropriate to their skills.

3.8 The area should plan for the permanent placement of unattached employees by monitoring vacancies and the dates the employee is expected to return to duty. In normal circumstances, the manager should be satisfied that they will be able to place the permanent employee in another vacant position when they return to duty.

3.9 Where an unattached employee is unable to be permanently placed by the CIT in another vacant position on their return then the Redeployment and Redundancy provisions of the relevant Enterprise Agreement may be initiated.

3.10 An alternative to unattachment is the creation of a parallel position. For more information on this option please contact CIT Human Resources.

4. Documentation

• Public Sector Management Act 1994
• ACT Public Sector Management Standards
• CIT Human Resources Delegations Manual

5. Definitions

All terminology used in this policy is consistent with definitions in the CIT Definitions of Terms.

6. Policy Contact Officer

Senior Manager, CIT Safety and Employment Relations.

Contact CIT Student Services on (02) 6207 3188 or email infoline@cit.edu.au for further information.

7. Procedures

This policy is implemented through the associated procedures. Authority to make changes to the procedures rests with the policy owner.