Here is a summary of employment conditions for Prison Officers and the key entitlements under the Victorian Public Service Enterprise Bargaining Agreement 2006 (2009 Extended and Varied Version).

Types of Employment Offered

Casual

Casual employees are employed based on the needs of the prison. Casual Prison Officers work on an ‘on call’ basis, there is no fixed roster or minimum number of hours allocated per week. When staff are called in for a shift, the minimum number of consecutive hours for that shift is three.

Casual employees are required to work as part of the 24 hour, 7 day a week rosters that are used in the Prisons. If you are considering applying for casual employment, but have a specific day or time that you are unavailable for shifts due to prior commitments, please let us know. Our rosters can be flexible enough to accommodate a variety of personal commitments.

If you are applying for a casual Prison Officer position and intend to keep on a second job outside the prison, please review the Outside Employment Policy and ensure you understand the requirements involved and approvals required.

Ongoing

Ongoing (or permanent) employees can expect to work rostered shifts 24 hours, 7 days a week. You will become a permanent employee of the Victorian Public Service.

Fixed-Term

Fixed term staff will be offered a fixed length of time for their employment (for example, three months or one year) and will work rostered shifts 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Training Period

Employment during the Pre-service Training period for all types of Prison Officers will be on a fixed-term basis at the Custodial Officer Group (COG) Level 1 Trainee rate of $41,575, which equates to a fortnightly salary of $1,593.57.

Probationary Period

A three-month probationary period will operate from the starting date with Corrections Victoria for all new ongoing and fixed-term employees.

Recognition of Prior Service

Ongoing, fixed-term and casual staff who have prior service with other Victorian Government organisations can apply to have it recognised for long service leave purposes. Please note: prior service will only be recognised if there is a reciprocal arrangement between the previous employer and the Department of Justice.

Hours of Work

Ongoing and fixed-term Prison Officers usually work 80 hours per fortnight. Shifts vary in length, and are over a 24-hour period. Shifts vary within any given two-week period to allow for operational needs and personal flexibility. Rosters in each location are normally available three to four weeks in advance to allow for forward planning. There may be some opportunities available for part-time work depending on operational needs of the prison.

Salary

Salary increases will occur in accordance with the Victorian Public Service Enterprise Bargaining Agreement 2006 (2009 Extended and Varied Version) and the performance management process.

For ongoing and fixed-term staff the salary ranges are:

Prison Officer	COG 2A – $42,917 – $55,113
Senior Prison Officer	COG 2B – $56,318- $64,762
Supervisor	COG 3 – $65,969 – $71,286
Operations Manager	COG 4 – $72,849 – $88,889
General Manager	COG 6 – $115,361 – $132,045

For casual staff:

 Casual Prison Officers are paid an hourly rate of $25.70 in accordance with the Victorian Public Service Enterprise Bargaining Agreement 2006. This is inclusive of a 25% loading in lieu of leave entitlements.

Shift Penalties:

The following penalty payments are made for Prison Officers in addition to salary: -

Saturday work	50% extra
Sunday work	100% extra
Public holiday work	150% extra
Weekday afternoon shifts commencing on or after 10am and before 8pm	15% extra
Weekday night shifts commencing on or after 8pm and before 6am	15% extra

Approved Overtime

The following payments are made in addition to salary: -

Monday to Saturday	150% for the first 3 hours thereafter 200%
Sunday	200%
Public Holiday	250% *

*if performed on a rostered day leave or is in addition to normal hours, otherwise, 150%

If time off in lieu is agreed as the form of compensation, this will accrue on an hour for hour basis for time worked Monday to Friday or two hours for every hour worked Weekends and Public Holidays.

The maximum hourly rate payable for overtime, penalty rates and shift allowance is currently set at the highest pay point of the Grade 3 Value Range 1 level. If an employee’s hourly rate is higher than this maximum rate, then they will be paid at the maximum rate.

Leave Provisions

Leave entitlements are summarised below:

TYPE	PROVISION
Annual Leave	4 weeks per year plus an extra week for rostered workers.
Annual Leave Loading	17.5% loading or penalty rates & shift allowances payable during the leave period. This is payable at the time of taking leave.
Long Service Leave	3 months leave with pay for each period of 10 years continuous service in the VPS. An employee may access this entitlement, on a pro-rata basis, after an initial 7 years of continuous service.
Sick Leave	120 hours (cumulative) per year  (15 days @ 8 hours). Up to 5 days per year may be taken without a medical certificate provided no more than 3 consecutive days are taken without a certificate.
Carer’s and Emergency Leave	Up to 38 hours per year from sick leave balances.
Compassionate Leave	An employee, other than a casual employee, is entitled to up to 3 days’ leave with pay per year because of the serious illness or death of a member of the employee’s immediate family or household.
Maternity Leave	52 weeks leave, of which 14 weeks is leave with pay (minimum 12 months’ continuous service for paid component).
Paternity Leave	52 weeks leave, of which 1 week leave is with pay (minimum 12 months’ continuous service for paid component).
Adoption Leave	Primary care giver: 13 weeks’ leave with pay. Secondary care giver: 1 week leave with pay.
Study Leave	Access to Study Leave for personal development and education may be approved.
Leave Without Pay	Access to leave of absence without pay for special reasons may be approved.
Pre-Natal Leave	35 hours for women to attend routine medical appointments associated with the pregnancy. Each absence must be covered by a medical certificate. 7.6 hours leave is also available for partners. Each absence must be covered by a medical certificate.