Enterprise Agreement 2024–2027: Section 9, Travel and location-based conditions

Domestic Air Travel

Domestic Travelling Time

Where an APS Level 1-6 employee is required to travel on official business during the normal bandwidth, they are entitled to record flex time for the time spent travelling.
Where any employee (APS Level 1 – EL2) is required to travel on official business outside the bandwidth, the manager and employee will discuss a reasonable period of time off in lieu and the timeframe in which it should be taken recognising both the operational requirements of the National Archives and the personal commitments of the employee.

Domestic Travelling Allowance

All travel must be organised to ensure maximum value to the Commonwealth with no personal expense, monetary gain or other type of benefit to the employee. In requiring travel for business purposes, managers will consider an employee’s family responsibilities, personal circumstances, and work health and safety factors that may affect an employee’s ability to travel and where possible make alternate arrangements for travel.
Unless otherwise agreed by the employee, an allowance will be payable to an employee who travels on official business and is away from home overnight. The allowance, which is payable in advance, is to meet the cost of accommodation, meals and any incidental expenses incurred by the employee while travelling on official business and will be calculated in accordance with reasonable rates. The Director-General will determine the most reasonable rates as available during the life of this agreement.
Where an employee is provided with either accommodation or meals, or both, at the National Archives’ expense, the employee will not be paid for those components of Travelling Allowance in respect of any accommodation or meals provided.
Upon the presentation of receipts, an employee will be reimbursed for reasonable additional costs for alternative care purposes incurred as a direct consequence of their travel on official duty. For this clause to apply, the employee must have primary caring responsibility for an immediate family or household member who is dependent on their care and support.

Overseas Air Travel

Business class air travel (or recognised equivalent) will be used for the international segments, where the employee is required to travel overseas on official business. Where the journey involves travelling time of more than 12 hours, the employee will not be required to attend work before having had a reasonable opportunity to recuperate, either at the destination or en route. The employee is considered to be at work during this rest period. The rest period should not exceed:

440.1 48 hours for travel to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas or the West Indies; or

440.2 24 hours in any other case.
Consistent with clause 66, unless covered by insurance, National Archives will reimburse an employee for loss of luggage and personal effects while travelling overseas on official business.

Overseas Travelling Allowance

Where an employee is approved by the Director-General to travel overseas on official business, the employee will be:

442.1 provided with a corporate credit card to meet aquittable costs e.g. accommodation and any unforeseen work-related expenses, where these expenses cannot be directly billed to the National Archives;

442.2 paid Overseas Travelling Allowance for meals and incidental expenses, to be calculated in accordance with the rates as determined by the Director-General; and

442.3 provided with an acquittable cash advance to cover projected expenses likely to be incurred in the course of their work, e.g. interpreter fees.
The Director-General may, subject to the presentation of receipts or other satisfactory evidence, authorise and additional payment in circumstances where an employee has incurred reasonable costs in excess of the Overseas Travelling Allowances calculated under clause 442.
Where assistance of an emergency nature is required and the Comcover arrangements are not effective in these circumstances, an employee may use their corporate credit card to ensure any necessary medical or hospital treatment.
Approval will be given, upon the presentation of receipts, to reimburse an employee for reasonable additional costs for alternative care purposes incurred as a direct consequence of their overseas travel on official duty. For this clause to apply, the employee must have primary caring responsibility for an immediate family or household member who is dependent on their care and support.

Excess Travelling Time

Where an employee below the APS Level 4 classification is required to work temporarily away from their usual place of work in the same geographical area and this involves excess travelling time (ETT) of more than 30 minutes in excess of normal travelling time, the employee will receive TOIL for this ETT at the rate of single time. Payment for ETT will be authorised where it is unlikely that the employee will be able, or has been unable, to take TOIL within three months of the ETT having occurred.
Where an employee below the APS Level 4 classification is relocated as a result of the transfer of their work function from one location to another in the same geographical area, the employee will be entitled to ETT in accordance with clause 446. Under this clause, eligibility for ETT will be for a maximum of three months and cannot be paid as a lump sum in advance.

Excess Fares

An employee below the APS Level 4 classification will be entitled to reimbursement of excess fares where temporarily performing work at a place other than their usual place of work in the same geographical area, when the cost of travel to and from the temporary place of work is greater than the cost of travel to and from the usual place of work. Excess fares are not reimbursed where the employee is receiving Travelling Allowance or, subject to clause 449, has moved in anticipation of a permanent move.
Where an employee below the APS Level 4 classification is relocated as a result of the transfer of their work function from one location to another in the same geographical area, the employee will be entitled to reimbursement of excess fares in accordance with clause 448. Under this clause, eligibility for reimbursement of excess fares will be for a maximum of three months and cannot be paid as a lump sum in advance.

Reimbursement of fares

Relocation assistance

Where an employee is required to relocate on engagement with National Archives, the employee will be provided with financial relocation assistance.
Employees who relocate on an ongoing reassignment, movement or promotion to a different geographic location will receive reimbursement or payment of reasonable relocation costs and two days leave to relocate from the employee’s existing residence to their new residence, where applicable and will receive reimbursement or payment of reasonable relocation costs.
Reasonable expenses associated with the relocation include:

453.1 the cost of transport of the employee, their dependents and partner by the most economical means;

453.2 removal expenses, namely the reimbursement of reasonable incurred costs of the removal of furniture and household effects of the employee, dependants and partner;

453.3 the reimbursement of the cost of the insurance premium based on a reasonable replacement value;

453.4 temporary accommodation costs (as agreed) at the new location;

453.5 the reasonably incurred expenses in kennelling and transport of pets, up to the amount specified in the APS Award, and

453.6 education costs (as agreed) incurred in avoiding serious disruption to the final two years of their child’s/children’s secondary education.
In addition, to the above costs reimbursement for reasonable costs associated with:

454.1 the sale and purchase of a home; and

454.2 stamp duty on registering one motor vehicle or motorcycle owned by an employee at the new location and associated establishment fees for the transfer of a driving licence and registration.

Temporary Relocation Assistance

Where employees are required to work in a different geographic location for three weeks (i.e. 21 days) or less, a Travelling Allowance will be paid as per clauses 436-439.
Where employees are required to work in a different geographic location for a period up to 13 weeks, a Travelling Allowance will be paid as per clauses 436-439 for the first three weeks (i.e. 21 days) from the day work commenced at the new location. The Director-General may agree with the employee an agreed package of assistance for reasonable transport, removal, temporary accommodation costs and out of pocket expenses for the remaining period (four to 13 weeks).
Employees who relocate on a temporary basis to take up higher duties are entitled to removal expenses if they relocate for a period of 13 weeks or more. For periods of temporary relocation exceeding 13 weeks, the Director-General may agree with the employee an agreed package of assistance as provided at clause 456.
Where claims for reimbursement of expenses for temporary relocation are not approved, the employee will be provided with the reasons why the expense was considered in appropriate or unreasonable, in writing.
Employees who temporarily work in another geographic location at their request may receive temporary relocation assistance at the discretion of the Director-General.
Further information is included in the relocation assistance policy.