PACMAN Chapter 3 Part 5 Division 32: Air Force – Airfield Engineering Trades retention bonus scheme

Division 32: Air Force – Airfield Engineering Trades retention bonus scheme

3.5.307   Purpose
3.5.308   Payments under this scheme
3.5.309   Member this Division applies to
3.5.310   Member this Division does not apply to
3.5.311   Offer to enter the scheme
3.5.312   How to accept an offer under this Division
3.5.313   Application and acceptance for a second round bonus under the scheme
3.5.314   Service that counts towards a payment under this Division
3.5.315   Payment of the retention bonus
3.5.316   Payment of the second round bonus
3.5.317   Repayment when member leaves scheme
3.5.318   Administration of payment

3.5.307 Purpose

	This Division provides for a bonus scheme for members in prescribed ranks and employment categories in the airfield engineering trade. The payment is designed to encourage members to stay in their category.
	Note: Action may be taken to amend or revoke a bonus if the policy reasons for making it cease to apply.

3.5.308 Payments under this scheme

	This Division provides a two-stage bonus scheme.
	a.	The first provides a payment of $20,000 for a member who holds a prescribed rank and employment category in the airfield engineering trade.
		See: Clause 3.5.311, Offer to enter the scheme
	b.	The second provides a payment of $20,000 for some members who complete the initial bonus and apply for the second round. Not all members are entitled to the second round bonus.
		See: Clause 3.5.313, Application and acceptance for a second round bonus under the scheme

3.5.309 Member this Division applies to

This Division applies to a member who meets all of the following conditions.
a.	The member is serving in the Permanent Air Force.
b.	The member has completed an initial minimum period of service. Note: This concept is defined in a determination made by the Chief of Air Force under sub-regulations 53(1), 58(7), 58(9), 90(6), 90(7) and 97(6) of the Defence (Personnel) Regulations 2002. Related Information: The determination can be found in Defence Instruction (General) PERS 33–5, Arrangements for service in the Australian Defence Force
c.	The member is entitled to salary for one of the following employment categories.
	i.	Carpenter.
	ii.	Plumber.
	iii.	Electrician.
	See: Schedule B.11 of DFRT Determination No. 15 of 2008, Salaries
d.	The member holds one of the following ranks.
	i.	Aircraftman.
	ii.	Leading Aircraftman.
	iii.	Corporal.
e.	The member agrees to provide two years of effective service using the form at Part B to Annex 3.5.ZH. See: Annex 3.5.ZH, Air Force – Airfield Engineering Trades retention bonus scheme

3.5.310 Member this Division does not apply to

	This Division does not apply to a member in any of the following circumstances.
	a.	The member first meets a condition for eligibility under paragraphs 3.5.309.a – 3.5.309.d after 1 November 2010.
	b.	The member has been selected for promotion to a rank not listed in paragraph 3.5.309.d.
	c.	The member will reach compulsory retirement age before the end of the two year period of service that the member must perform in return for the retention bonus, and the Chief of Air Force has not accepted the member's application to have the member's retirement date extended to cover that period of service.
	d.	The member's fixed period of service will end before the end of the two year period of service that the member must perform in return for the retention bonus, and the Chief of Air Force has not accepted the member's application to have the fixed period of service extended to cover that period of service.

3.5.311 Offer to enter the scheme

1.	The Director Personnel – Air Force may offer a retention bonus of $20,000 to an eligible member.
2.	The offer must be made using the form at Part A to Annex 3.5.ZH.
	See: Annex 3.5.ZH, Air Force – Airfield Engineering Trades retention bonus scheme

3.5.312 How to accept an offer under this Division

1.	An eligible member may accept a bonus under this Division any time after they receive an offer, until the latest of the following dates.
	a.	Twenty-eight days after the day the offer is made.
	b.	If the member was deployed when the offer under paragraph a. was made — the day 28 days after the day the member returns to Australia after a deployment.
	c.	A longer period that the Director General Personnel – Air Force decides is reasonable, having regard to the member's circumstances.
2.	An acceptance made under this subclause must be on the acceptance form at Part B to Annex 3.5.ZH.
	See: Annex 3.5.ZH, Air Force – Airfield Engineering Trades retention bonus scheme
3.	The acceptance must include an undertaking to serve for two years in the employment category that is identified in the offer (this is called the *agreed period of service*).

3.5.313 Application and acceptance for a second round bonus under the scheme

1.	A member is eligible for a second round bonus payment of $20,000 if they meet all of the following conditions.
	a.	The member received a bonus under this scheme and has completed their agreed period of service for that bonus.
	b.	The member meets all the conditions under paragraphs 3.5.309.1.a – 3.5.309.1.d.
		See: Clause 3.5.309, Member this Division applies to
	c.	The member makes an application on the form at Part D to Annex 3.5.ZH.
		See: Annex 3.5.ZH, Air Force – Airfield Engineering Trades retention bonus scheme
	d.	The member agrees to provide two additional years of effective service using the form at Part D to Annex 3.5.ZH.
	e.	The application is made before 1 November 2010.
2.	The Director Personnel – Air Force may accept an application for a second round bonus.
3.	A member must be notified of the outcome of their application.

3.5.314 Service that counts towards a payment under this Division

1.	The two-year period the member undertakes to perform for the retention bonus must be served as effective service.
2.	For the purpose of this Division, *effective service* means service that meets all these conditions.
	a.	It is continuous full time service.
	b.	It is paid. Exception: Unpaid leave of less than 21 calendar days.
	c.	It is not counted as a period of ineffective service under subclause 3.
3.	This table lists a range of leave types and activities and sets out how a period of that leave or activity counts toward member's period of effective service.

Item	Activity	Effect
1.	Part-time leave without pay.	The paid component counts as effective service.
2.	Leave at full pay. Examples: Recreation leave, full pay long service leave.	The whole period of this leave counts as effective service.
3.	Unpaid leave for less than 21 calendar days. Examples: Leave without pay, maternity leave without pay	The whole period of this leave counts as effective service.
4.	Leave at half pay. Example: Long service leave at half pay.	Half the period of the leave counts as effective service.
5.	Unpaid leave for 21 calendar days or more. Examples: Leave without pay, maternity leave without pay	The period for which the member is in this situation does not count as effective service.
6.	Absence without leave.
7.	Imprisonment, detention or suspension from duty without pay.
8.	An undertaking for further service under Part 8 of the Military Superannuation and Benefits Act 1991, as preserved by item 4 of Schedule 4 Defence Legislation Amendment Act (No. 1) 2005.
9.	A period when the member was discharging a return of service obligation or another undertaking for further service. Exception 1: An undertaking for further service associated with a promotion. Exception 2: A return of service obligation under item 10 of this table
10.	A period when the member was discharging a return of service obligation associated with relevant training. In this table, relevant training means professional training that is directly relevant to the member's occupation. Exception: Initial category training	Both of these periods are counted as effective service. i. The period of the training. ii. The period of the return of service obligation.

3.5.315 Payment of the retention bonus

1.	The retention bonus is payable to an eligible member on receipt of the member's completed acceptance form.
2.	A member who joins the scheme must serve in the Air Force until they complete the agreed period of service under this Division as effective service.
3.	A member who is offered a bonus is taken to have commenced their agreed period of service from the relevant date in the following table.

Item

If ...

then the member's undertaking to serve starts on...

the member meets all of the following conditions

a. They would have been eligible to join the scheme on a day between 1 August 2008 and 31 August 2008 if it had existed.

b. An offer is made between 1 September 2008 and 30 September 2008.

c. They accept the offer to join the scheme before 28 October 2008.

the first day on or after 1 August 2008 that the member met the conditions under paragraphs 3.5.309.1.a to 3.5.309.1.d.

See: Clause 3.5.309, Member this Division applies to

item 1 does not apply to the member

the first day the member meets all the following conditions.

a. The conditions under paragraphs 3.5.309.1.a to 3.5.309.1.d.

b. The member's completed acceptance form at Annex 3.5.ZH is signed by the applicant and witnessed by their commanding officer.

See: Annex 3.5.ZH, Air Force – Airfield Engineering Trades retention bonus scheme

3.5.316 Payment of the second round bonus

1.	The second round bonus is payable to an eligible member whose application is accepted under clause 3.5.313.
	See: Clause 3.5.313, Application and acceptance for a second round bonus under the scheme
2.	The member's service for the second round bonus starts on the day the form at Part D to Annex 3.5.ZH is signed by the applicant and witnessed by their commanding officer. The period cannot start until the service for the first round is completed.

3.5.317 Repayment when member leaves scheme

1.	If a member fails to complete their agreed period of service under this Division for any of the following reasons, they are not required to repay any part of the retention bonus.
	a.	The Director General Personnel – Air Force determines that the member's reason for ceasing to serve in the Air Force is beyond the member's control. Example: The member is terminated because of medical unfitness, or dies.
	b.	The member transfers from the Permanent Force to the Reserves at Air Force's initiative. Authority: Chapter 8 Part 2 Division 2 or 3 of the Defence (Personnel) Regulations 2002.
2.	A member will be required to repay the full amount of the retention bonus if they fail to complete their agreed period of service for any of the following reasons.
	a.	The member voluntarily leaves the employment category for which the bonus was offered.
		Exception: The member becomes a Sergeant in a Works Supervisor employment category.
	b.	The member voluntarily transfers out of the Air Force.
	c.	The member voluntarily transfers to the Reserves.
	d.	The member voluntarily applies to terminate service in the Permanent Force.
	e.	The member's service is terminated for disciplinary reasons.

3.5.318 Administration of payment

1.	A member may nominate payment details for the retention bonus, subject to these conditions.
	a.	The form must be completed before the day the payment is due.
	b.	The nomination must be on the form at Annex 3.5.ZH. See: Parts E and F of Annex 3.5.ZH, Air Force – Airfield Engineering Trades retention bonus scheme
2.	If a member does not nominate payment details in the form at Annex 3.5.ZH, the retention bonus may only be paid into the member's normal pay account.

PACMAN AL3 (December 2008) Chapter 3 – Part 5 Division 32 – 1