Relinquish from position procedure

Audience

All employees who hold a substantive position within the department above entry level/base grade. 

Purpose

To outline the steps to be followed when an employee wishes to relinquish their position.

Overview

Relinquish from position is an employee initiated arrangement where an employee requests to voluntarily give up their substantive position and classification level and negotiates to be permanently placed in a position at a lower classification level.  Generally, the lower classification position will be within the same work unit, location or geographic area.

Relinquish from position (being employee initiated) is different from the redeployment of an employee affected by workplace change. Refer to the Supporting employees affected by workplace change Directive (01/22) for further information about redeployment.

Responsibilities

Employee

• Engage in open and honest discussions regarding the request to relinquish their position.
• Consider the implications of relinquishing their position.
• Discuss other options, as applicable, with their manager, principal or supervisor.

Manager, principal, supervisor

• Manage employee’s application to relinquish their position.
• Offer support services such as the employee assistance program to employees who are considering unattaching from their position.

Human Resources (HR) delegate

• Approve the request to relinquish.
• Consider human rights when making decision about a relinquish from position request.

Recruitment Services, People Branch

• Process the approved application.
• Provide advice to payroll services to update employee record in payroll system

Payroll services

• Update payroll to align with employee’s new position.

Process

1. Request to relinquish position

Employee identifies that they wish to relinquish their position. Employee informs their manager, principal or supervisor of their request to relinquish their position.

2. Consideration of the application

• Manager, principal or supervisor meets with the employee to discuss their reason for requesting to relinquish their position.
• Manager, principal or supervisor discusses other possible options with the employee to ascertain if relinquish is the best outcome.  Alternative options available may include:
  • flexible working arrangements e.g.  part-time employment, job sharing
  • professional development e.g. relieving opportunities, training and development programs, mentoring
  • leave
• Manager, principal or supervisor is to let the employee know they can access the employee assistance program at any time should they require further support with their decision making.

3. Identification of a suitable position

• If relinquishing their position is the best course of action, the manager, principal or supervisor must identify a funded vacant position that the employee can be placed against. If a funded vacant position does not exist, a relinquish from position request is unable to be progressed at that point in time.
• The manager, principal or supervisor may agree to continue to look for a suitable funded vacant position.  When a suitable funded position becomes available, the manager, principal or supervisor can then re-engage with the employee about their request to relinquish from their position.

4. Completion of the application form

• Once a suitable position has been identified the employee completes the relinquish from position form.
• Manager, principal or supervisor retains the completed application form for the 14 day cooling off period. On expiration of the cooling off period, an employee has agreed to relinquish their substantive position and their classification. 
• After the 14 day cooling off period, the manager, principal or supervisor is to discuss and seek approval from the appropriate HR Delegate for the relinquishment.
• Manager, principal or supervisor forwards the completed form to the Recruitment Services unit for processing.

5. Implementation

• Recruitment Services unit processes the application and provides written confirmation to the employee of their new substantive position and aligned employment conditions.
• Recruitment Services unit notifies Payroll Services of the change in position.
• Payroll services updates the relevant systems to reflect the change in position.
• The manager, principal or supervisor should check in with their employee once they have settled into the new role to ensure it is meeting expectations.
• Should the employee wish to apply for a role at their relinquished classification level (or any other role) in the future, they will be subject to the standard merit selection processes.

6. Appeals

Should an employee not agree with a decision made regarding relinquishment, the Individual employee grievances procedure should be followed.

Definitions

Legislation

• Public Sector Act 2022 (Qld)
• Supporting employees affected by workplace change Directive (01/22)
• Recruitment and selection Directive (07/23)
• Human Rights Act 2019 (Qld)
• Individual employee grievances Directive (11/20)

Delegations/Authorisations

• HR delegations manual (DoE employees only)

Other resources

• Individual employee grievances policy
• Individual employee grievances procedure
• Employee assistance program 

Superseded versions

Previous seven years shown. Minor version updates not included.

2.0 Relinquishment from position

3.0 Relinquish from position