South Australia: Excess employees and income maintenance
Version checked: 22 January 2026.
This binding determination addresses covered employees who become excess and are moved to lower-classified work. Coverage includes public-service employment and other employment brought within section 16 of the Public Sector Act 2009.
It distinguishes becoming excess from being transferred to lower-paid duties. Before reducing remuneration, the agency must make reasonable efforts to find suitable work preserving the employee’s substantive level. The income-maintenance arrangements include a three-month lead-in following transfer, followed by six months for qualifying employees with under ten years’ continuous service, or twelve months for those with at least ten years. Exceptional extensions and interruptions can affect the calculation.
After maintenance ends, pay may be pegged rather than immediately reduced. Enterprise increases, allowances and subsequent temporary placements require careful treatment under the document.
For a correctional employee affected by restructuring, obtain the excess declaration, transfer decision, service history and a written pay calculation. Do not assume a change of workplace automatically amounts to redundancy. A remuneration reduction or relocation requiring a residential move may be reviewable; check the actual decision, governing legislation and filing requirements promptly.
General information, not advice on a particular case. Check coverage and the current industrial instrument before acting.
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