International Sporting Event Leave for State Government employees

Public Service Award 1992 Clause 40

Under the Public Service Award 1992 Clause 40 International Sporting Events Leave, public service employees who are selected as a competitor, coach, manager or official — regardless of any age categories and notwithstanding all other eligibility requirements — are entitled to receive special leave with pay.

This leave includes:

• up to 5 days allowing for travel, acclimatisation and mandatory training prior to the competition
• the period of the competition
• up to 2 days to return to place of residence

Guidelines for applicants

The guidelines provide information and lists all criteria considered by the department when assessing an application. Please read these guidelines prior to submitting a request for leave.

The Public Service Award 1992 Clause 40 International Sporting Events Leave states:

1. Special leave with pay may be granted by the employer to an officer chosen to represent Australia as a competitor or official, at a sporting event, which meets the following criteria:
   • it is a recognised amateur sport of national significance; or
   • it is a world or international regional competition; and
   • no contribution is made by the sporting organisation towards the normal salary of the officer.
2. The employer shall make enquiries with the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries:
   • whether the application meets the above criteria
   • the period of leave to be granted.

Guidelines for interpretation

• A request for International Sporting Events Leave is made available to any Western Australian public service employee or government officer selected to represent Australia as a competitor, coach, manager or official regardless of any age categories, notwithstanding all other eligibility requirements.
• The event must be sanctioned by the recognised National Sporting Organisation (NSO) and be part of the International Federation (IF) calendar of events.
• The applicant must provide written advice from the NSO or IF of their selection for the event.
• The applicant must provide written evidence from the NSO that no contribution is made by the NSO toward their normal salary.
• Leave is not recommended if the applicant has chosen to represent Australia in a competition where they have qualified or nominated for the event but have not been selected by the NSO to represent Australia.
• Any amateur sport recognised by the department as a Western Australian state sporting association (SSA), or an affiliated body to the SSA, is deemed to be a sport of national significance for the purposes of the award.
• A world competition may include Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, world championships or world cups.
• An international regional competition may be any event where at least four nations compete. This eliminates test series between two countries or tri-nation events to better reflect the regional nature of the competition.
• The department will advise the employing agency of the recommended period of paid leave to be granted to the applicant by the employing agency. The recommended period of leave, taking into account the geographic location of the event is:
  • up to 5 days allowing for travel, acclimatisation and mandatory training prior to the competition
  • the period of the competition
  • up to 2 days to return to place of residence.
• Specific population competitions such as Police and Emergency Services Games are not recommended for approval as they do not meet the guidelines above. However, international sporting leave may be allowed under any special industrial provisions of the individual employing authority.

Criteria check list

A list of the key criteria required to be approved for International Sporting Events Leave is provided below. If you answer no to any of these, you are not be eligible to receive leave:

• I am a competitor/coach/manager or official
• the event is sanctioned by the National Sporting Organisation (NSO)
• the NSO is recognised by the Australian Sports Commission
• the event is on the International Federation (IF) Calendar of Events
• the sport has a State Sporting Association (SSA) or affiliated body recognised by the department (these sports are deemed a sport of national significance in Western Australia)
• It is a world or international competition with more than four countries competing
• I have written confirmation from NSO/IF that I have been selected to participate and will receive no contribution to my normal salary
• The event is not limited to a specific group of people such as the Police and Emergency Services Games.

Required documentation

You will need to supply a letter from the NSO or IF, this letter needs to be written on their organisations letterhead and outline:

• your selection on the national team
• competition details
• that you will receive no financial contribution for your participation.

Your application will not be assessed without this letter.

Being selected and and qualifying to represent Australia

Being selected to represent Australia means your NSO has chosen you to compete in your chosen sport on behalf of your country.

In certain situations, entry into a competition may be based off qualifying times from a previous competition/race. In this case the athlete will choose if they wish to attend the event, their NSO is not involved in their selection. An athlete must be chosen by their NSO to be eligible for leave.

Just because an athlete is traveling overseas to compete in an event does not mean that they are part of a national team.

Examples of leave requests that have not been recommended

• Ironman 70.3 World Championships was not recommended as it was not endorsed by the National Sporting Organisation (Triathlon Australia) or the International Federation (International Triathlon Union). This was a privately owned, for-profit event.
• Summer Universiade (World University Games) was not recommended because it is limited to university students only.
• Bali International Open Judo Championships was not recommended as it was not endorsed by the National Sporting Organisation (Judo Federation of Australia) or the International Federation (International Judo Federation).
• Indigenous Marathon Project was not recommended as it was not endorsed by the National Sporting Organisation (Athletics Australia) or the International Federation (International Association of Athletics) It was also deemed not to be either a world competition or an international regional competition.
• State Under 18 Ice Hockey Championships was not recommended because it is not an international event.

Federal agencies

The Public Service Award 1992 only applies to public servants that work for a Western Australian State Government department/organisation, not employees of federal agencies.

Applying for International Sporting Events Leave

To apply for the department’s recommendation regarding your request for International Sporting Events Leave, please complete the form below. The assessing officer will assess your application and be in contact with the outcome of your application via email.