21. STUDY LEAVE
21.1. SBS may at its discretion grant an Employee paid or unpaid study leave where the scope, content and level of the course undertaken by an Employee are relevant to SBS’s needs.
21.2. Employees may apply for either:
(a) study leave and/or assessment leave in accordance with the below provisions; or
(b) assessment leave only in accordance with the below provisions, and reimbursement of costs associated with the study of up to $2,500 per enrolment in a degree, program, or other approved course of study.
21.3. Study Leave
21.3.1 Unpaid study leave can be granted to Employees to undertake a course of full-time study, provided that SBS’s operating requirements permit the leave. Unpaid study leave will count as service for all purposes, other than the accrual of annual leave, for the purposes of this Agreement. Whether, or not, it will count as service for the purposes of the Long Service Leave (Commonwealth Employees) Act 1976 will be determined by the Managing Director or his or her delegate in accordance with the requirements of that legislation.
21.3.2 Paid study leave can be granted to Employees to undertake part-time study, on the following conditions:
(a) SBS’s operating requirements permit the leave;
(b) the maximum amount of leave will generally be an average of 8 hours’ paid leave per week during the course, which can be pooled together where, for example, a course requires short intensive periods of attendance; and
(c) at SBS’s discretion and taking into account Employees’ individual needs, it may extend the maximum amount of paid leave up to an average of 13 hours’ leave per week during a course.
21.4. Assessment Leave
21.4.1 Employees who are granted paid study leave or the reimbursement of expenses under this clause will also be granted paid leave to travel to and from, and to attend and undergo, compulsory examinations or assessments held during ordinary hours of duty.
21.4.2 Employees must separately apply on each occasion that leave is requested to attend an examination or assessment under this subclause.
21.5. External or Short Course Study Leave
21.5.1 SBS may grant paid study leave and/or reimbursement of costs to Employees under this clause to pursue a short course of external study.
21.5.2 A short course of external study for which paid leave is provided under this subclause may include courses on workplace relations if the scope, content and level of the course contribute to the Employee’s understanding of workplace relations.