📋 Roster Rules
EBA-mandated and departmental rules governing shift allocation at Monash ICU
All penalty rates, allowances and locum fees applicable to Monash ICU rostering. Source: AMA VIC DIT EBA 2022–2026 (claused items) and Monash ICU local rates.
Overtime (Clause 33 / Clause 39)
Confirmed — AMA VIC DIT EBA 2022–2026. Overtime = hours directed beyond ordinary rostered hours. Recall pay (Cl.39) uses the same rate structure.
| Scenario | Rate | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Overtime (first 2 hours) | 1.5× ordinary rate | Cl.39 / Cl.33 |
| Overtime (beyond 2 hours) | 2× ordinary rate | Cl.39 / Cl.33 |
| Minimum overtime payment | 3 hours (recall) / verify for non-recall OT | Cl.39.3 |
| Time off in lieu (TOIL) | May substitute overtime payment by mutual agreement | Cl.33 |
| Recall >10h cumulative → 24h free | Must apply | Cl.39.4 |
Roster Change & Shift Change Penalties (Clause 35)
Confirmed — AMA VIC DIT EBA 2022–2026, Clause 35.
| Scenario | Penalty | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Roster change <7 days notice | 5% of weekly rate (Change of Roster Allowance) | Cl.35.5 |
| Roster change 8–14 days notice | 2.5% of weekly rate | Cl.35.5 |
| Roster change >14 days notice | No penalty | Cl.35.5 |
| Any change to shift type on published roster | Change of Roster Allowance applies (same tiers) | Cl.35.5 |
On-Call Allowances (Clause 38)
Confirmed — AMA VIC DIT EBA 2022–2026, Clauses 38–39.
| Item | Rate | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| On-call allowance (ordinary) | 2.5% of ordinary weekly rate | Cl.38.3 |
| On-call allowance (public holiday) | 3.5% of ordinary weekly rate | Cl.38.3 |
| Recall pay (first 2h) | 1.5× ordinary rate | Cl.39.2 |
| Recall pay (after 2h) | 2× ordinary rate | Cl.39.2 |
| Min recall payment | 3 hours | Cl.39.3 |
| Recall >10h → 24h free from duty | Must apply | Cl.39.4 |
Locum Rates (Monash ICU)
Fixed per-shift flat fees — not EBA penalty multiples. Crisis rates apply when booked <48h before shift start.
| Grade | Type | Flat rate | Effective $/hr |
|---|---|---|---|
| HMO | Locum (day) | $1,125 | $90/hr |
| Locum Night | $1,250 | $100/hr | |
| Locum Crisis (day) | $1,375 | $110/hr | |
| Locum Crisis Night | $1,500 | $120/hr | |
| Registrar | Locum (day) | $1,375 | $110/hr |
| Locum Night | $1,500 | $120/hr | |
| Locum Crisis (day) | $1,625 | $130/hr | |
| Locum Crisis Night | $1,750 | $140/hr |
Source: AMA Victoria Doctors in Training (DIT) Enterprise Agreement 2022–2026. Rules marked MUST are hard constraints. SHOULD are soft targets.
Hours of Work (Clause 33)
| Rule | Limit | Enforcement |
|---|---|---|
| Min break between any two ordinary shifts | 10 hours | MUST |
| Min break after a single night shift | 23 hours | MUST |
| Min break after a run of nights (≥2) | 48 hours | SHOULD |
| Max consecutive shift days | 7 | MUST |
| Max consecutive night shifts | 4 (dept rule) / 7 (EBA) | MUST ≤4 |
| Days off per fortnight | 3.5 days (2 must be consecutive) | MUST |
| Max hours per fortnight | 140 hours | MUST |
| Max shift length | 14 hours | MUST |
| Meal break | ≥30 min every 6 hours | MUST |
Roster Posting & Changes (Clause 35)
| Rule | Detail | Enforcement |
|---|---|---|
| Roster posted in advance | ≥28 days before roster starts | SHOULD |
| Roster change notice | ≥14 days (or Change of Roster Allowance triggered) | MUST |
| Change of Roster Allowance | 5% weekly rate (≤7 days) / 2.5% (8–14 days) | MUST pay |
| Roster request deadline | ≥1 week before roster posting deadline | SHOULD |
On-Call (Clause 38)
| Rule | Detail | Enforcement |
|---|---|---|
| Max on-call period duration | 16 hours | MUST |
| Standby duration limit | Must not exceed the shift being covered | MUST |
| After 6× 16h on-call in 6 consecutive days | Must have 24h free from on-call | MUST |
| Consecutive standby on-call | Avoid; if unavoidable, must have OHS procedure | SHOULD avoid |
| Standby same day as clinical shift | Not permitted (Standby only) | MUST NOT |
| First On-call same day as clinical shift | Permitted (TY Fellow) | ALLOWED |
| SMS On-call same day as clinical shift | Permitted (Consultants) | ALLOWED |
Quarterly Caps (per 13-week rotation)
| Metric | Soft target (Should) | Hard cap (Must) |
|---|---|---|
| Night shifts | ≤20 | ≤24 |
| Weekend shifts | ≤6 | ≤8 |
Local Monash ICU operational rules. Not mandated by EBA but clinically appropriate and agreed by department.
Consecutive Nights
| Rule | Value | Enforcement |
|---|---|---|
| Consecutive nights target | 3 in a row | SHOULD |
| Consecutive nights maximum | 4 in a row | MUST ≤4 |
| Standby adjacent to night block | Allowed (before OR after block) | ALLOWED |
| Gap after night block (incl. adjacent standby) | 48h before any day shift | MUST |
Rotator Availability Rules
| Scenario | Rule | Enforcement |
|---|---|---|
| Incoming rotator (from external site) | No shifts on first 2 days of rotation | MUST |
| Outgoing rotator (to external site or ACEM/ANZCA) | No shifts on final Saturday + Sunday | MUST |
Applies to: LRH, BCH, MCH-ED, MMC, and all specialty rotators (ACEM, ANZCA, etc.)
Leave Adjacency Rules
| Rule | Detail | Enforcement |
|---|---|---|
| Weekend before planned leave | No shifts allocated | SHOULD |
| Weekend after planned leave | No shifts allocated | MUST |
| Night shifts adjacent to leave | None in the weekend window before leave | MUST |
| Applies to | Annual Leave, Study/Exam/Conference/Parental leave | — |
Seniority Requirement (shift-filling constraint)
Seniority is NOT a separate shift type — it is a constraint on how shifts are filled. At least one doctor working a given shift block must be senior (MR/SR/TY). This applies to all shifts, with priority given to nights and after-hours.
| Shift composition | Seniority satisfied? | Example |
|---|---|---|
| TY Fellow on shift | Yes — TY anchors the shift; all other JMS can be JR/HMO | TY + JR + HMO ✔ |
| No TY, but ≥1 MR or SR on shift | Yes — MR/SR satisfies requirement; rest can be JR/HMO | SR + JR + HMO ✔ |
| No TY, no MR/SR — all JR/HMO | No — seniority violation | JR + JR + HMO ✘ |
| Priority | Detail |
|---|---|
| Nights & after-hours | Seniority check applied first when filling these shifts |
| Weekday days | Seniority check applied after nights/weekends are covered |
| DICU days with TY working | Remaining JMS slots can be filled freely with any grade |
TY Fellows (Dandenong DICU only)
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Number | 2 Fellows at DICU (Dandenong); none at BICU (Casey) |
| Roster pattern | Fixed: Thu–Fri–Sat–Sun–Mon on alternate weeks |
| Saturday shift | First On-call |
| Night shifts | Fellows do NOT do night shifts |
| Shifts permitted | All JMS shifts + First On-call |
Skill Mix Requirements
| Requirement | Detail | Per |
|---|---|---|
| Airway-skilled doctor | At least 1 per shift | Per shift |
| ICU experience | At least 1 per shift | Per shift |
| DICU day with no Fellow | Extra registrar required | Per affected day |
Fill Algorithm
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Two-pass fill | All slots get one person before any slot gets a second |
| Priority | Weekends + Public Holidays before standard weekdays |
| JD (fixed rotator) | 4-week cycle: Wk A=off, Wk B=Wed–Fri Night×3, Wk C=Fri–Sun Day×3, Wk D=Thu Standby×1 |
All shift codes used in SignalHQ. Codes prefixed with a dept apply to that unit only.
Dandenong ICU (DICU)
| Code | Name | Grade | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICU-D | ICU Day | All JMS | 08:00–20:30 |
| ICU-N | ICU Night | All JMS | 20:00–08:30 |
| HDU-D | HDU Day | All JMS | 08:00–20:30 |
| HDU-N | HDU Night | All JMS | 20:00–08:30 |
Casey ICU (BICU)
| Code | Name | Grade | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLR-D | Floor Day | All JMS | 08:00–20:30 |
| FLR-N | Floor Night | All JMS | 20:00–08:30 |
| OUT-D | Outreach Day | All JMS | 08:00–20:30 |
| OUT-N | Outreach Night | All JMS | 20:00–08:30 |
Shared / On-Call
| Code | Name | Who | Same-day allowed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| FIRST | First On-call (TY) | TY Fellows, DICU only | Yes |
| STBY | Standby On-call | All JMS | No |
| ONCALL | On-call (SMS Consultant) | Consultants (DICU + BICU) | Yes |
| SIM | Simulation | All | Yes |
Leave Codes
| Code | Name | Type |
|---|---|---|
| AL | Annual Leave | Planned |
| PD | Study Leave | Planned |
| EX | Exam Leave | Planned |
| PAR | Parental Leave | Planned |
| SL | Sick Leave | Unplanned |
Three distinct on-call types with different rules for eligibility, same-day allocation, and EBA obligations.
STBY Standby On-call
| Who | All JMS (any grade) |
| Units | DICU + BICU |
| Same day as shift | NOT allowed |
| Gap before day shift | 48 hours |
| Adjacent to night block | Allowed (counts as part of block) |
| Max duration | Duration of shift being covered |
FIRST First On-call
| Who | TY Fellows only |
| Units | DICU (Dandenong) only |
| Same day as shift | Allowed |
| Fixed day | Saturday of working week |
| Night shifts | Fellows do NOT do nights |
ONCALL SMS On-call
| Who | Consultants (SMS) |
| Units | DICU + BICU |
| Same day as shift | Allowed |
| Dandenong | ICU, HDU, Support, On-call |
| Casey | Floor, Outreach, CST, On-call |
On-Call Operational Rules (Clause 38)
| Rule | Requirement | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Max on-call period duration | 16 hours | MUST |
| After 6× 16h on-call in 6 consecutive days | Must have 24h free from on-call | MUST |
| Consecutive standby on-call | Avoid; if unavoidable, must have OHS procedure | SHOULD avoid |
| Recall >10h | 24h free from duty must follow | MUST |
💰 For on-call allowance rates and recall pay, see the 💰 Remuneration tab.
Cross-jurisdictional comparison of Australian DIT Enterprise Agreements. Research conducted April 2026. VIC is the only fully verified jurisdiction. Verify all others against current registered agreement before deployment.
National Floor — Universal Across All States
These rules appear in all 8 jurisdictions and are safe as national defaults.
| Rule | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Min break between shifts | 10 hours | All state EBAs + Fair Work NES |
| Max consecutive nights (hard) | 7 nights | All state EBAs (VIC dept = 4) |
| Min days off per fortnight | 4 days | Most states; VIC = 3.5 (use 4 as safe floor) |
| Max shift length | 14 hours | All state EBAs |
| Ordinary weekly hours | 38h/week | Fair Work Act s.62 NES |
| Min roster notice | 2 weeks | All states minimum (VIC/WA = 4 weeks) |
| Post-night run break (best practice) | 48 hours | VIC/QLD/WA/ACT/NT/SA/TAS explicit; NSW policy only |
State-by-State Comparison
| State | EBA / Award | Period | Post-Night Break | Max Nights | Hrs Cap/Fn | System |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VIC Active | VIC DIT EA 2022–2026 | 2022–2026 | 48h (EBA) | 7 EBA / 4 dept | 140h | FWC |
| NSW | NSW Medical Officers (State) Award | Ongoing | 10h (policy) | 7 | ~160h | NSW IRC |
| QLD | QLD Health RMO Certified Agreement | 2022–2026 | 48h | 7 | 152h | FWC |
| SA | SA Medical Officers EA | 2020–2024† | 48h | 7 | 152h | SAET |
| WA | WA Health MPA 2022 | 2022–2024 | 48h | 7 | 140–152h | WAIRC |
| TAS | THS Medical Practitioners EA | 2022–2025 | 48h | 7 | 152h | FWC |
| ACT | ACT Health Professional Services EA | 2022–2026 | 48h | 7 | 152h | FWC |
| NT | NT Medical Officers EA | 2023–2027 | 48h | 7 | 152h | FWC |
† SA post-2024 successor may be under negotiation. WA 2024 replacement pending WAIRC. NSW = state system (NSW IRC), not FWC. WA = WAIRC (separate state system).
VIC-Specific Rules That Should Apply Everywhere (Best Practice)
| Rule | VIC | Other States | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standby + clinical same day | Prohibited (EBA) | Not explicit | Enforce as hard block in all states |
| Post-night break | 48h (EBA) | 48h best practice; NSW 10h only | Apply 48h everywhere |
| Fortnightly cap | 140h | 152h most others | Use 140h as conservative default |
| Roster posting | 28 days | 14–21 days | Target 28 days; flag if <14 days |
Fair Work Act NES — Absolute Floor (All States)
| Provision | Detail | SignalHQ Rule |
|---|---|---|
| s.62 — Max weekly hours | 38h ordinary + reasonable additional hours | Flag >76h/week; block >80h/week |
| s.87 — Annual leave | 4 weeks/year minimum | AL leave cannot be refused unreasonably |
| s.67 — Parental leave | Up to 12 months unpaid | PAR leave code protected |
| s.65 — Flexible working | Carers may request flexible arrangements | Consider in requests workflow |
National Expansion Readiness
| State | Complexity | Phase | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIC | Low | Active | Baseline — fully implemented |
| ACT, TAS | Low | Phase 2 | Near-identical to VIC; FWC |
| QLD, NT | Medium | Phase 3 | FWC; ~3 rule differences |
| SA | High | Phase 4 | SAET jurisdiction |
| NSW, WA | High | Phase 5 | State industrial systems; separate legal review recommended |
CICM professional standards relevant to ICU rostering. College standards govern accreditation and training — non-compliance risks training post deaccreditation. Source: Official CICM documents IC-2, IC-4, IC-13, IC-26 (verified April 2026). See cicm.org.au for current versions.
IC-1 — Minimum Standards for Intensive Care Units (2011)
Exact source text confirmed.
| Standard | Exact Document Text | Rostering Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Specialist rostered at all times | "There must be at least one specialist rostered to the unit at all times. In larger ICUs more than one specialist should be rostered to the Unit (one per pod of 8-15 beds)" (§1.1) | SMS ONCALL must be filled every night — hard coverage requirement; large ICUs need multiple SMS |
| JMS rostered at all times | "There must be at least one other registered medical practitioner with an appropriate level of experience rostered to the ICU at all times" (§1.1) | ICU-N shift must always be filled — JMS cannot be zero overnight |
| Duties outside ICU are additional | "Duties outside of the ICU must be staffed by personnel additional to those required for managing patients within the ICU, and must not compromise care of patients within the ICU" (§1.1) | RRT/Outreach/DAN shifts are additional — cannot pull from ICU minimum cover |
| Pod size | "Large ICUs should be divided into pods of 8-15 patients" (Generic Requirements) | One specialist per pod of 8-15 beds; DICU and BICU each need dedicated SMS during daytime |
| Reasonable working hours | "The ICU specialist roster must allow reasonable working hours and leave of all types" (§1.1) | Supports EBA fatigue rules and non-clinical time allocation (IC-2) |
| Two ward rounds per day | "Clinical management should include two bedside ward rounds per day conducted by the rostered intensive care specialist and junior medical staff and nursing staff" (§2) | Minimum 1 SMS on AM + PM round — not just one SMS day shift |
| Competency requirement | "These medical practitioners must have appropriate orientation and training and be competent in providing advanced life support" (§1.1) | HMO/JR grade must have ALS competency confirmed before ICU shifts; informs seniority check |
IC-2 — Guidelines on Intensive Care Specialist Practice (2013)
Exact source text confirmed.
| Standard | Exact Document Text | Rostering Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Daytime patient load | "8 to 15 [patients] during 'daytime' hours... This requirement precludes service provision in two separate units during regular hours even if the two units are co-located on a single campus" (§4.1) | Each SMS consultant covers one unit only in daytime — DICU and BICU need separate day consultants |
| After-hours patient load | "Outside regular, weekday hours, the supervising specialist may be simultaneously rostered to more than 8-15 patients providing another specialist is rostered to be 'second on call'" (§4.2) | After-hours ONCALL may cover DICU+BICU if second-on-call available; must be same geographical campus |
| Exclusive availability | "The supervising specialist must be exclusively rostered and immediately available to attend patients within the ICU. Other clinical and non-clinical commitments which might preclude immediate availability may only be undertaken when another suitable specialist is immediately available" (§4.3) | ONCALL cannot have other clinical commitments; STBY blocks same-day clinical shifts |
| Non-clinical time — Staff Specialist | "For the non-clinical duties of an intensive care staff specialist, on average, three days per fortnight should be allocated" (§3.1) | SMS consultants need ~3 non-clinical days/fortnight; roster must not fill all their days with clinical work |
| Non-clinical time — Director | "A minimum of three days per fortnight should be allocated for these administrative and related activities in addition to the general specialist allocation" (§3.2) | Director of ICU: ~6 non-clinical days/fortnight minimum |
IC-4 — Guidelines on Supervision of Vocational Trainees (2013)
Exact source text confirmed.
| Category | Exact Document Text | Rostering Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Supervision always required | "Supervision must be available at all times for vocational trainees in Intensive Care Medicine and this should be performed by a person who possesses the Fellowship of the College of Intensive Care Medicine (FCICM)" (Purpose) | FCICM consultant must be on-call or on-site at all times — ONCALL slot non-negotiable |
| Category 4 supervision (off-site) | "A supervisor not in the hospital, but readily contactable and, if necessary, available within reasonable travelling time, who is specifically rostered for the period in question" (§1, Cat 4) | ONCALL overnight covers Cat 4 supervision for trainees — must be formally rostered, not informal |
| Twice-daily review | "Patient review will be held at least twice each day with the duty ICU consultant" (§2.2) | Ward rounds AM + PM require SMS consultant presence or formal delegation — supports 2 SMS day shifts |
| Early training supervision | "Early in training, a high proportion of supervision must be as in Category 1 or 2" (§2.1) | HMO/JR grade must have on-site MR/SR/TY or SMS — cannot be paired only with another HMO/JR |
IC-13 — Guidelines on Standards for High Dependency Units (2013)
Exact source text confirmed. Applies to HDU (Step-down) rostering.
| Standard | Exact Document Text | Rostering Implication |
|---|---|---|
| Medical Director | "A medical director who is a Fellow of the College of Intensive Care Medicine (FCICM)" (§2.1) | HDU must have nominated FCICM director — rostering accountability |
| Immediate availability | "At least one registered medical practitioner with an appropriate level of experience immediately available at all times" (§2.2) | HDU-D and HDU-N shifts must be filled — cannot leave HDU without cover even when ICU staffed |
| Specialist staffing | "Sufficient specialist staff to provide reasonable working hours and leave of all types to allow the duty specialist to be rostered and available to the HDU" (§2.5) | HDU specialist cover requires adequate SMS staffing — informs minimum SMS headcount |
| HDU linked to ICU | "All patients admitted to the HDU referred to the attending intensive care specialist for management" (§1.3) | HDU patients managed by ICU SMS — same ONCALL structure covers HDU after hours |
| Nurse:patient ratio | "A nursing staff to patient ratio of 1:2" (§2.7) | Nursing context — affects HDU bed capacity, which affects JMS workload calculations |
| Trainee supervision in HDU | "The supervision of trainees in the HDU will comply with document IC-4" (Introduction) | IC-4 supervision rules apply equally in HDU — same seniority requirements |
IC-26 — Minimum Standards for ICU-Based Rapid Response Systems (2017)
Exact source text confirmed. Relevant for Outreach/DAN shift rostering.
| Standard | Exact Document Text | Rostering Implication |
|---|---|---|
| ICU cover not compromised | "Attendance of ICU medical staff to RRS calls must not compromise care of the patients within ICU" (§1) | Outreach/DAN shifts must be staffed separately — cannot pull from ICU minimum cover |
| Trainee RRT time cap | "ICU trainees must not be rostered for RRT shifts for more than 25% of their clinical time. At least 75% of their clinical time must be spent managing patients within the ICU" (§1) | JMS doing Outreach/DAN: max 25% of shifts can be RRT-type — affects rotation design |
| Response time expectation | "A response time of less than ten minutes would be typically expected from an ICU team in a large hospital" (§1) | Outreach doctor must be on-site or in hospital, not at home — Outreach is NOT an on-call shift |
| High-volume RRT — separate roster | "Once RRS calls reach a volume of more than 2000 per annum average a separate ICU medical officer and nurse to the ICU treating team should be rostered for the RRT" (§1) | If call volume high, dedicated Outreach roster is mandatory — not ad-hoc from ICU team |
CICM-Derived Skill Mix Requirements (SignalHQ Rules)
| Requirement | Source | Rule in SignalHQ |
|---|---|---|
| FCICM on-call every night | IC-4 (supervision must be available at all times) | Hard block — ONCALL slot uncovered = accreditation risk |
| No HMO/JR as sole overnight JMS | IC-4 §2.1 (early training: Cat 1/2 supervision) | Violation flag — seniority check on overnight shifts |
| Daytime SMS covers one unit only | IC-2 §4.1 | Hard block — DICU and BICU day shifts need separate SMS |
| Outreach ≠ pulls from ICU cover | IC-26 §1; IC-1 (cited) | Hard block — DAN/Outreach shifts are additional, not ICU substitutes |
| Trainees ≤25% time on RRT/Outreach | IC-26 §1 | Warning — rotation design check; flag if JMS >25% Outreach shifts |
| Two-unit coverage (after hours, same campus) | IC-2 §4.2 | Warning — DICU+BICU ONCALL coverage permissible after hours if geographically co-located |
CICM Exam Dates 2026
| Exam | Date | Affected Staff |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Written (1st) | 25 Feb 2026 | JR/MR trainees |
| Primary Oral | 29–30 Apr 2026 | Primary candidates |
| Primary Written (2nd) | 5 Aug 2026 | JR/MR trainees |
| Fellowship Written (1st) | 11 Mar 2026 | SR/TY candidates |
| Fellowship Oral (1st) | 18–22 May 2026 | SR/TY candidates |
| Fellowship Written (2nd) | 19 Aug 2026 | SR/TY candidates |
| Fellowship Oral (2nd) | 28–30 Oct 2026 | SR/TY candidates |
| Beyond Basic Course | 16–17 Jun 2026 | 7+ staff absent — major crunch |