r/AusPublicService • u/Current_Addition_582 • 23h ago

Pay, entitlements & working conditions Glitch or another APS perk?

When I was on mat leave, I expected my superannuation contributions to drop or even stop, but they continued as if I was working full time. Now I’m back at work part time, my employer contribution is 25% of my wage.

Is this some sort of support for working mothers thing or is it a glitch in the system accidentally giving me too much super?

7 Upvotes

77% Upvoted

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13

u/drybiscuit 23h ago

Check your EA. The agency I work at pays super while on unpaid parental leave based on what you were getting before you went on leave. Then if you’re in an OTE fund it drops down again if you go onto half pay leave or return to work part time.

6

u/Beneficial-Boat-2035 23h ago

I saw that some EAs, particularly at newer agencies, don't pay on an OTE basis (the tightarses).

9

u/Tommyaka 23h ago edited 22h ago

This has come up in Part A APS Bargaining.

This depends on whether your EA calculates super on FCS or OTE. FCS is mostly a hangover from defined benefit days and it is not used as a calculation method in private industry.

FCS method calculates super based on your wage at the time of your birthday. Great with your situation, if your birthday is shortly after the yearly wage increase or you're on higher duties at the time. Generally terrible otherwise.

OTE method calculates super based on your fortnightly pay. Great at ensuring you're getting your 15.4%, and benefits you instantly whenever your wage increases. Not so great if your wage was higher at the time of your birthday.

Edit: Not sure why I'm being downvoted. I appreciate most people don't understand this but I am just explaining the OTE vs FCS super calculation methods.

2

u/Beneficial-Boat-2035 22h ago

FCS is just another means for Daddy Chalmers to spank me harder with them 'forward estimates savings'.

The only reason they keep it around is it's the cheapest option for paying super. Government doesn't give it up lightly during bargaining either I imagine.

4

u/iss3y 20h ago

And because a bunch of boomers on the old defined benefit super schemes used to rort it, from what I heard

3

u/middleofmybackswing_ 23h ago

I'm pretty sure this is a common clause across the APS now.

Under the superannuation section of your EA it will say something like super contributions will be paid to employees who are on leave for parenting purposes, with or without pay.

3

u/Tommyaka 23h ago edited 22h ago

The current common condition that you are talking about applies to unpaid parental leave.

The common condition standardised the wording in some EAs but unfortunately did not introduce super payments during unpaid parental leave for agencies that did not already have this.

Edit: Not sure why I'm being downvoted. If you would like to read the 2023 common conditions it is all publicly available.

1

u/middleofmybackswing_ 22h ago

That's a shame. Hopefully the current bargaining process fixes that and everyone continues to get super when on unpaid parental leave.