Sports Leave Scheme – Public Sector

 6.2 International Sports
Activities Held Locally And Abroad – Athletes and Coaches

Public employees participating as Athletes or Coaches in international sports activities, both locally and abroad, may be granted special leave with pay. Public employees benefitting from the Flexi Training Scheme are not precluded from being granted special paid leave under this policy.

Eligibility

• Athletes and Coaches of a National Sport Organization who shall be representing Malta in both competitive and friendly events held locally/abroad.

• Athletes and Coaches of Local
Sport Organizations (individual clubs) who shall be participating in (international) competitive events held locally/abroad.

• Athletes and Coaches of Federation/Association who shall be participating in training camps held locally/abroad.

Duration

Special paid leave is granted for all the days during which the international event occurs, up to a maximum of ten (10) international events per calendar year, and may be utilized as per the eligibility criteria above.

Conditions

Paid leave for participation in sports events and activities shall only be considered in cases where the participant is not being paid for such event.

Application Procedure

The applicant is required to submit an application to the respective Director, copied to the Director responsible for People Management, attaching the required documentation, by not later than fifteen (15) working days before the event. The application form may be accessed

from the SportMalta website. The request should be endorsed by SportMalta, copying the Permanent Secretary for Sport.

Within five (5) working days from receiving the application, the respective Director shall inform the employee, in writing, whether the application has been approved or otherwise. A request may be refused in such instances as acute staff shortage or when the employee is performing specialized duties which require one’s full time presence. In those cases where the employee cannot be released, one may appeal to one’s respective Permanent Secretary who shall investigate the case and decide whether to accede to the request or otherwise. The decision taken by the respective Permanent Secretary shall be final.

All decisions shall be addressed to the Permanent Secretary responsible for Sport. The Permanent Secretary responsible for Sport shall notify SportMalta, the employee and the respective Director of the final decision. The Permanent Secretary responsible for Sport shall have the power to
overturn a positive recommendation.

Documentation required:

The Endorsement Letter provided by Sport Malta should include the
following:

      i.     The endorsement of the Sport Organization

    ii.     information about the International Sports Event or a copy of the official invitation in case of a conference or meeting

   iii.     the duration of the event, in the case of events and mandatory conferences and meetings being held abroad

   iv.     the number of working days of special leave being requested 

     v.     a declaration stating whether the applicant is being paid to participate in the event

   vi.     For International Sports Activities held locally regarding training preparation, the applicant must provide  an endorsed signed letter from their employer by clearly indicating the applicant’s Full-Time/Part-Time (pro-rata) working hours, together with training schedule held locally signed and provided by President and Secretary (both signatures required) of Association/Federation

 vii.     For training camps held abroad (International Sports Activities), the applicant must provide a training schedule signed by President and Secretary of Association/Federation (both signatures are required)

The Sport Organization, responsible for endorsing the request, should support the application (Endorsement Letter) with supporting documentation confirming that: 

i. it is registered with SportMalta

ii. the event is recognized by SportMalta as an International event

    
iii. the event is being held in Malta or abroad

6.3 International Sports Activities Held Locally and Abroad –
Referees and Accompanying Officials

Public employees participating as referees or accompanying officials in international sports activities, both locally and abroad, may be granted special leave with pay. Public employees benefitting from the Flexi Training Scheme are not precluded from being granted special paid leave under this policy.

For the scope of this policy, ‘accompanying official’ shall refer to any public employee who participates in international sports activities as per the preceding paragraph, to provide professional support, training, guidance or to assist the athletes in their performance (e.g. doctors, physiotherapists, etc).

Eligibility

• Accompanying Officials of a National Sport Organization who shall be representing Malta in both competitive and friendly events held locally/abroad.

• Accompanying Officials of Local Sport Organizations (individual clubs) who shall be participating in (international) competitive events held locally/abroad.

• Accompanying Officials of Federation/Association who shall be participating in training camps held locally/abroad.

Duration

Three (3) working days special paid leave for each international event, up to a maximum of ten (10) international events per calendar year, may be utilized by public employees as per the eligibility criteria above. An additional five (5) working days special paid leave may be utilized to attend mandatory conferences and meetings held abroad, such as the annual general meetings of the respective international federation. 

Travel days to attend sports activities and mandatory conferences and meetings may also be covered with special leave, provided that the amount of special leave entitlement is not exceeded. 

The special leave entitlement shall be granted on a first-come-first served basis from a pool of hours administered centrally from Sport Malta. Where more than one request from the same employee is made in one calendar year, priority shall be given to employees who have not yet benefitted from the scheme.

Conditions

1. Paid leave for participation in sports events and activities shall only be considered in cases where the participant
is not being paid for such event.

2. Any approved sports leave shall not continue to apply from the day following the elimination of the Maltese athlete
that the official is accompanying.

Application Procedure

The applicant is required to submit an application to the respective Director, copied to the Director responsible for People Management, attaching the required documentation, by not later than fifteen (15) working days before the event. The application form may be accessed

from the SportMalta website . The request should be endorsed by SportMalta, copying the Permanent Secretary for Sport.

Within five (5) working days from receiving the application, the respective Director shall inform the employee, in writing, whether the employee’s release has been approved or otherwise. A request may be refused in such instances as acute staff shortage or when the employee is performing specialized duties which require one’s full time presence. In those cases where the employee cannot be released, one may appeal to one’s respective Permanent Secretary who shall investigate the case and decide whether to accede to the request or otherwise.

The decision taken by the respective Permanent Secretary shall be final.

All decisions shall be addressed to the Permanent Secretary responsible for Sport. The Permanent Secretary responsible for Sport shall notify SportMalta, the employee and the respective Director of the final decision. The Permanent Secretary responsible for Sport shall have the power to
overturn a positive recommendation.

Documentation required with the application:

In the case of members or officials of Local Sport Organizations participating in competitive events or attending mandatory conferences or meetings, the following information shall be included
in the Endorsement Letter provided by Sport Malta:

    
i.  The endorsement of the Local Sport Organization

                     ii. Information about the International Sports Event or a copy of the official invitation in case of a conference or meeting

            iii. The duration of the event, in the case of events and mandatory conferences and meetings being held abroad 

           iv. The number of days of special leave being requested 

           v. A declaration stating whether the applicant is being paid to participate in the event 

           vi. The day/s during which the applicant will actually be accompanying the athlete participating in sports activities held locally 

           vii. For International Sports Activities held locally regarding training preparation, the applicant must provide an endorsed signed letter from their employer by clearly indicating the applicant’s Full-Time / Part-Time (pro-rata) working hours, together with training schedule held locally signed and provided by President and Secretary (both signatures required) of Association/Federation 

           viii. For training camps held abroad (International Sports Activities), the applicant must provide a training schedule signed by President and Secretary of Association/Federation (both signatures are required)

           ix. The endorsement of the National Sport Organization of the discipline concerned and SportMalta, in the case of members or officials of National Sport Organizations representing Malta in competitive or friendly events or attending mandatory conferences or meetings

            The National/Local Sport Organization, responsible for endorsing the request, should support the application with documentation that:

           i. It is registered with SportMalta 

           ii. The event is recognized by SportMalta as an International event; or that the conference/meeting is recognized by SportMalta as mandatory;

           iii. The officer will be accompanying an athlete who is participating in and representing Malta at the International event or mandatory conference/meeting held locally or abroad; and 

           iv. Whether the event is being held in Malta or abroad.