Annual leave

Ongoing and non-ongoing MOP(S) Act employees are entitled to annual leave. It is important to use accrued annual leave each year and plan appropriate leave. Please discuss all leave with your employing parliamentarian before submitting your leave application.

MOP(S) Act employees can apply for annual leave at full or half pay with agreement from their employing parliamentarian. You can apply for annual leave through PEMS.

Entitlements for annual leave for MOP(S) Act employees are set out in the Enterprise Agreement and the leave and public holidays guideline (see related resources).

Additional annual leave credit – excess (Canberra) travel leave

MOP(S) Act employees who are required to travel from a remote work base to Canberra for Parliamentary sittings, on a Sunday or public holiday (in their work base), will be credited a half day of additional annual leave for each occasion of eligible travel. 

Employees must travel as directed and take the most direct route available from their work base to Canberra; personal stopovers will preclude an employee from claiming Excess Canberra Travel Leave (ECTL).

There is no limit to the number of days of ECTL that may be credited to an eligible employee in a year, noting that ECTL is credited automatically where eligibility requirements are met. 

All work bases in Western Australia and the Northern Territory are eligible for ECTL. The table below outlines the additional electorates with work bases that are also eligible.

Electorates and work bases eligible for ECTL are listed in Appendix A of the Commonwealth Members of Parliament Staff Enterprise Agreement 2024–27. In addition to clause 1.1 of Appendix A, the Minister has approved the workbase of Wangaratta as eligible for ECTL.

Employees are not required to submit a separate application for ECTL. Where eligibility requirements are met, ECTL will automatically be credited based on approved travel claims submitted by the employee and being fully acquitted. To ensure timely processing of ECTL, employees should submit their travel claims as soon as possible.

During the transition to automated crediting, employees may be required to submit a manual application for outstanding ECTL in limited circumstances. 

Excess Canberra Travel Leave – FAQs for the Automated Crediting Process

1. How can I check whether I have received Excess Canberra Travel Leave for travel undertaken prior to 20 July 2025?

For travel undertaken prior to 20 July 2025, ECTL continues to be processed through the manual application process.

If you have previously submitted an ECTL form for eligible travel during this period, you can check whether the credit has been applied by reviewing your leave balance in PEMS or by contacting the MaPS Helpdesk at mpshelp@finance.gov.au for confirmation.

2. How can I see when ECTL has been credited to my leave balance?

Under the automated crediting process, employees will receive an email notification once ECTL has been credited at the end of each crediting period.

3. I am ceasing MOP(S) Act employment before the next ECTL credit is due – what do I need to do?

Where an employee is ceasing MOP(S) Act employment before the next scheduled automated ECTL crediting period, the manual ECTL application process remains available.

Employees should ensure that all eligible travel is submitted and acquitted as soon as practicable, so that any eligible ECTL can be assessed and processed correctly as part of their final pay arrangements.

4. What happens if I have already submitted a manual ECTL application for travel during the transition period?

If an employee has already received an ECTL credit for eligible travel undertaken between 20 July 2025 and 31 March 2026 (for example, through a previously submitted manual application), no additional credit will be applied.

The automated crediting process is designed to recognise ECTL that hasn’t already been credited and will not result in duplicate credits.