Full-time Offices

The Tribunal has a role in setting remuneration and related matters for a range of senior jobs (offices) in Commonwealth bodies.

For most offices the Tribunal issues a formal determination under the Remuneration Tribunal Act 1973 (the Act) setting out remuneration arrangements. These determinations are disallowable by the Parliament. For a small number of offices the Tribunal provides advice on appropriate remuneration.

Under the Act remuneration is reviewed annually. Interested parties may make submissions to the Tribunal.

Categories of full-time offices

1. The Tribunal determines the actual remuneration for Full-time public offices which have moved into Total Remuneration. Since December 2002, the Tribunal has determined the ‘total remuneration’ for each Office covered by the Current Full-time Public Office Determination .

Prior to moving offices to Total Remuneration, salary and some loadings for these Office Holders were determined by the Tribunal, while the employer approved certain other remuneration components.

2. The Tribunal also determines the remuneration for Specified Statutory Officers which have been moved into Total Remuneration. Specified Statutory Officers have also been operating under the ‘total remuneration’ approach since 1999 and are covered by a separate Determination – Specified Statutory Officers - Remuneration and Allowances .

3. The Tribunal advises on remuneration for the heads of most Australian Public Service agencies and a small number of jobs in Commonwealth bodies that fall outside the Tribunal’s determinative jurisdiction (ie are not subject to the Office Holder or PEO Determinations).

For Full-time Public Office Holders, actual remuneration and significantly related matters are determined by the Tribunal. Unlike the Principal Executive Office Structure there is no scope for actual remuneration to be set directly between the Office Holder and their employer. For these Offices an employing body cannot be specified and/or the application of a performance based remuneration scheme would be inappropriate because of factors such as a regulatory or quasi–judicial role, or independence from Government.

The Act 

The Remuneration Tribunal Act 1973 (the Act) defines ‘public office’. The definitions include ‘an office established by, or an appointment made under, a law of the Commonwealth …’ (s.3). The Tribunal inquires into and determines remuneration and ‘significantly related’ matters for holders of public office (under s.7). The Act specifies that the Tribunal must make a determination in respect of Full-time Public Office Holders’ remuneration at intervals of not more than one year (s. 8).

Conditions 

Currently the Tribunal has used its powers under the Act to make determinations on three matters ‘significantly related’ to remuneration. These may apply to Public Office Holders:

• Recreation Leave
• Compensation for Loss of Office
• Travelling Allowance

These provisions need to be read in conjunction with the relevant remuneration determination for a particular office. For further details see the Conditions page.

In addition, the Tribunal may issue guidelines on matters within its jurisdiction. Relevant guidelines are:

• Guide on Geographic Relocations  (28kb) RTF (32kb)

The Guidelines are in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF)