The Enterprise Agreement provides in Clause 16.04 that the University may issue a general offer of voluntary redundancy if the Vice-Chancellor thinks that economic, technological and/or structural factors suggest that a reduction in staffing across the University may be desirable. On the basis of the significant number of requests for an offer which have been received and the advice provided by Heads of Divisions and Offices, the Vice-Chancellor has decided to issue such an offer.

This General Voluntary Redundancy offer is available to all full-time and part-time continuing Academic and General staff, under 65 years of age.

You will not be part of the offer if you are planning to retire normally or are to take up a substantive position at an Australian university.

If you are to be accepted, your position must be redundant, will not be restructured and will be disestablished and the redundancy payment will then qualify as a 'bona fide redundancy' payment.

The University will refuse your application if it would be detrimental to the remaining staff or the operations of the University, Division or Office or would contribute to the loss of all or too many key members of staff in particular areas.

You should note that for the payment to you as a taxpayer to be able to get concessional taxation treatment:

• an eligible termination payment must be made because the University has ended your employment;
• the time of ending must be before the date of your 65th birthday;
• your job must cease to exist;
• the decision to end your employment must not be due to ordinary or customary turnover of labour nor due to any personal act or default by you nor for personal or disciplinary reasons;
• there must not be, at the 'termination time', any agreement between you and the University, or between the University and another person, to employ you after that date. 'Agreement' here means an agreement that is formal or informal, express or implied, and may be legally enforceable or not.

You will get the following benefits:

• a sum equal to 2 weeks salary (apart from loadings) for each of your full years of continuous service at the University plus a pro rata payment for full months of continuous service since the last full year of continuous service;
• the total sum payable for the service will not be greater than 52 weeks at your salary (apart from loadings) at the time of retirement. This benefit will be on top of your ordinary entitlements for unused annual or long service leave.

An amount of the payment which falls within specified limits is exempt from income tax. For the 2002/03, the limit for this 'tax free amount' is $5623 plus $2812 for each completed year of service. The tax free amount is not an eligible termination payment, cannot be rolled-over, cannot include any amount from a superannuation fund or paid in lieu of a superannuation benefit and cannot count towards the recipient's Reasonable Benefit Limit (RBL).

Any payment in excess of this limit will be an eligible termination payment, broken up into the pre 1 July 1983 and post 30 June 1983 components, and can be rolled over. If the amount is not rolled over:

• for any pre 1 July 1983 component, 5% of this is included in your assessable income and taxed at normal rates; and
• the post 30 June 1983 component is taxed up to a maximum of 16.5% if you are 55 years or over (up to the 'Low Rate Threshold', which for 2002/03 is $112405) or 31.5% if under 55 years.

If eligible, you may apply to the Personnel Office between 1 November and 31 December 2002 (as early as possible to make sure that your case is processed so you can leave before the appropriate cut-off date). The Personnel Office can provide the following information to assist you if considering this offer:

• Superannuation: There may be superannuation implications arising from the date on which the last day of duty might occur. The first contact about superannuation should be made with Marie Richardson (9773 or marie.richardson@mq.edu.au) or Carol Smith (9771 or carol.smith@mq.edu.au).
• Calculation of Benefits: A request should be sent to Gail Flint, Leave Manager, Personnel Office (fax 9748 or gail.flint@mq.edu.au), seeking advice on the benefits available to you under the General Voluntary Redundancy Offer. As the date you intend to propose as your last day of service will depend upon a number of factors, the benefits available will be calculated as at the day of calculation.
  The requests will be fulfilled in the order they are received and you will receive the advice within a week of your request being received in the Personnel Office. You will be contacted if necessary to clarify any aspects of your request.
• Financial Advice: The University has arranged for an independent financial adviser to provide up to two sessions of financial counselling. The appointments are made by Sue Verdich (9701 or sue.verdich@mq.edu.au). It is more effective for you if you have your superannuation figures and your estimated payout figures available before you see the financial adviser. However, you could set the appointment up for the time that your figures will be available at the same time as you request the figures to be provided.
• Conditions: If you require any advice on the meaning of the General Voluntary Redundancy scheme in the Macquarie University Enterprise Agreement 2000-2003, please contact Sharon Litchfield (9768 or sharon.litchfield@mq.edu.au).

The Personnel Office will ask your Head of Division/Office about the effect of the deletion of your position before submitting the case for consideration.

Your application may be treated individually or collectively with others.

Your application will be decided by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) if an Academic staff member or the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) if a General staff member, taking into account the advice of the Head.

The date of effect will be no later than 31 January 2003 for General staff or 1 March 2003 for Academic staff. A later or earlier date of effect than requested may be negotiated with you where staffing or funding restraints require that action.

The scheme is voluntary, your application will be treated confidentially and you will not suffer any disadvantage by applying. The University will tell the Unions of the number of applications approved in each area.

You will not be further employed in any capacity, including as a consultant or contractor, by the University or any associated company. You may be allowed opportunities to continue your research interests through the use of University facilities, and/or by appointment to honorary (unpaid) visiting positions. If appointed as a visiting Academic, you may be employed to conduct occasional lectures but there must be no arrangement for this at the time of termination.