AUXILIARY UPDATE : 01 december 2022

PUBLIC HOLIDAY ENTITLEMENTS OVER CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR PERIOD

I wish to remind all members that the relevant public holidays for the 2022 / 2023 Christmas and New Year period are:

Christmas Eve – 1800 to 2400 (part-day public holiday)
Saturday, 24 December 2022

Christmas Day
Sunday, 25 December 2022

Boxing Day
Monday, 26 December 2022

27 December (Christmas Day Additional Public Holiday)
Tuesday, 27 December 2022

New Year’s Day
Sunday, 1 January 2023

2 January (New Year’s Day Additional Public Holiday)
Monday, 2 January 2023

In accordance with clause 26 of the Auxiliary Firefighters Award – State 2016 “an auxiliary firefighter who is required to work on a public holiday will be paid at the rate of double time and one-half for any hours worked, with a minimum payment of 4 hours' work for the day”.

This means that for any work during the periods set out above, you are entitled to double time and a half, with a minimum of four hours pay on any of the days where you’re required to work (work of any type).

Please find below an explanation about how the four hours minimum works (as advised to members in an Auxiliary Update dated 30 April 2021) –

Calculation of payment for public holiday work
The minimum entitlement of 4 hours payment for the day operates alongside the ordinary 2-hour engagement period for each call-in.

This means that, for work that you perform on a public holiday, you should receive the following:
1. A minimum of four hours’ pay at the public holiday rate (double time and half), regardless of time actually worked. The four hours’ payment commences when you start work on the day, and buys out any work performed during that 4-hour period.
2. All other call in work performed after that 4-hour block is remunerated at the same public holiday penalty rate, for a minimum of 2 hours for each call in.
For example, if you were called in at 1000h on the Queen’s Birthday public holiday for 30 minutes, and then again at 1200h for 1 hour, and again at 1600h for 15 minutes, you would claim the following:
4 hours at double time and a half (for the work performed within the four-hour block between 10am and 2pm)
AND
2 hours at double time and a half (for the call in at 4pm).

If an error is made with your pay, in the first instance, please ensure you raise the issue with your regional HR contact as soon as possible.

If an issue remains unresolved, subsequent to contacting regional HR, please contact the UFUQ for assistance.

If seeking assistance, please ensure you provide appropriate evidence for your claim, including the reasons provided to you by HR (preferably in writing) as to why your claim has not been accepted.

John Oliver - General Secretary