Employee Benefits and Conditions

HNELHD offer incentives for a range of contracts in our regional and rural facilities that have been deemed hard to fill by NSW Health. Join us for a new challenge in a new location and enjoy the perks of working with HNE!

The incentives offered are part of NSW Health’s Rural Health Workforce Incentive Scheme .

What are these new Incentives?

The incentives we offer include packages that start from $5,000 up to $20,000 depending on the position and its location.  The incentives packages are pro-rata for part time positions and paid fortnightly to employees.

The incentive packages can include the below:

• Additional base salary
• Additional personal leave
• Professional Development
• Computer/Internet reimbursement
• Relocation Benefits
• Return airfare home
• Compassionate travel
• Family Travel Assistance
• Reimbursement of utilities
• Transfer incentives
• Study assistance
• Cash bonus

HNELHD also offer additional incentives

In addition to the incentive package (valued at up to $10k), the HNELHD provides existing incentives for most hard to fill or rural positions including:

• Accommodation Assistance - Employees may receive free accommodation in a hospital owned, or hospital leased property at no cost. Where a hospital owned or hospital leased property is not vacant for the required period, general rental market accommodation may be organised by the Hiring Manager for a pre-determined period
• Paid travel -  ‘normal hours’ for travel time to and from their home base to the hard to fill position
• Meal allowance (up to $105.75 per day)
• Mileage allowance (payment for use of your private vehicle – 28.8 cents per kilometre)
• Great award entitlements e.g. paid parental leave and Allocated Days Off (ADOs)
• Flexible Work Arrangements
• Ongoing training and development
• Cultural emersions

How do I know exactly what incentives I will receive?
Incentives packages are to be negotiated between the hiring manager and the eligible incentive recipient. If you have been successful for an incentivised position and you wish to finalise your incentive package, or you simply want to know more before you apply, please speak with the position's hiring manager.

Is there any further benefits to consider?

Rural work opportunities have many other benefits including exposure to all facets of hospital care i.e. emergency department experience – you will be supported in developing your skills, increasing your knowledge and striving for professional growth. In addition to rural work stints looking great on your resume, the reduced cost of living in rural towns and the rural incentives we offer means you can reach your saving goals sooner! Accepting a rural work contract also means your supporting NSW rural communities with the challenges they are currently facing due to the ongoing rural workforce shortages.

What are some of the locations the incentives offered at?

• Moree
• Armidale
• Boggabri
• Emmaville
• Manning
• Gunnedah
• Glen Innes
• Merriwa
• Murrurundi
• Muswellbrook
• Narrabri
• Quirindi
• Scone
• Singleton
• Tenterfield
• Tamworth
• Wee Waa
• Walcha
• Denman
• Inverell
• Gunnedah
• Guyra
• Manilla
• Warialda
• Tomaree (Nelson Bay)

How do I find what incentivised positions are available?

To view all vacant positions that offer incentives please click here and search for ‘Incentives Offered’. All vacant positions that offer incentives will have ‘Incentives Offered’ clearly displayed in the advertisement title.

What is the minimum rural contract?

We would love you to stay for three years – as this will solidify your training and satisfy service needs, however we don’t want to miss out on your skills and experience.  We ask that you stay for a minimum of 18 months, that way you’ll get access the full incentive package up to $10k!  If you leave before 18 months you will have to pay back a component of your incentive package.

Are existing Health Workers eligible for the incentives?

Existing employees in eligible incentivised positions and locations may be entitled to the incentives as retention payments – speak to your manager if you think this is you.

Can I return to my substantive position or be transferred to a preferred location after the rural work opportunity?

Employees who complete a minimum three years of service in an eligible role and location may receive approval for a ‘right of return to their substantive position’ or a ‘priority transfer’ to their preferred location following their completed incentivised service.

Can I commence a second incentivised work contract?

At the conclusion of two years’ incentivised service, employees are eligible to receive further incentives associated with another incentivised role at any eligible location.

I’m interested, what do I do next?

Find a position you are interested in on our Vacant Positions Portal and apply! If you have any questions about the position or the incentives we offer, please contact the hiring manager of the advertised position.

As an HNE employee you are entitled to salary packaging options. A range of items can be salary packaged for example living expenses - bills, mortgage repayments, novated leases and meal entertainment expenses. If you have permanently relocated specifically to take up your new position, you may be able to salary package costs related to your relocation providing eligibility criteria are satisfied. Salary packaging means that you give up part of your salary in exchange for particular fringe benefits and potentially reduce the amount of income tax you pay, giving you increased disposable income. If eligible, HNE employees can salary sacrifice up to $9,009 per year on a range of benefits.

To sign up, complete an online application form through SalaryPackagingPLUS. For more information contact:

• SalaryPackagingPLUS on 1300 40 25 23


• nswhealth@salarypackagingplus.com.au


• Visit SalaryPackagingPLUS website for NSW Health employees

Election for Salary Sacrifice can be made via SARA (Search And Reqest Anything) - a support portal for NSW Health staff for enquries regarding IT, payroll, recruitment, finance, purchasing and warehousing services and support. SARA is cloud-based which means it can be accessed anywhere, any time.

How Do I Get Started?

To setup your Salary Packaging arrangements, click here to access the online application form. Alternatively, you can complete the Application Form which can be found on the SalaryPackagingPLUS website.

If you would like to speak with a SalaryPackagingPLUS consultant you can click here book a time for them to call you back.

Please note, while Salary Packaging is beneficial to most staff, including those who have a HECS/HELP debt, it is recommended that you obtain independent financial advice before starting.

• Fitness Passport (affordable gym membership in numerous locations and facilities)


• A culture of collaboration, respect, empowerment and openness


• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for emotional, mental and general psychological wellbeing. The EAP is for HNE employees and their family members providing a range of free counselling and support services


• Free vaccinations and immunisations for all HNE employees


• Acute Incident Response (AIR) Support - an accessible and coordinated HNE Health strategy, which enables clinical and non-clinical staff to feel safe, connected and supported.

• Monthly ADO's for Full Time employees


• Full Time, Part Time, Casual, Secondment and Various employment opportunities (in accordance with role specifications and upon negotiation with manager)


• Flexible days and hours (upon negotiation with manager and dependent on role)

• Mentoring programs for professional development and career progression


• A level of autonomy and responsibility with capacities for leadership


• The opportunity to learn from and collaborate with experienced clinical and non-clinical professionals


• Ongoing support and in-house training with MyHealth Learning

If you have permanently relocated specifically to take up your new position with HNELHD, there may be costs related  to your relocation that you can Salary Package in addition to 'normal' Salary Packaging if you meet the eligibility criteria. If you have relocated, please note this in your Salary Packaging application, or complete the Relocation Expenses form available on the SalaryPackagingPLUS website.

If you have any questions regarding Salary Packaging please contact SalaryPackagingPLUS on 1300 402 523 or via email.

• Award allowances and incentives (upon negotiation with manager and dependent on role)


• Superannuation contributions and salary sacrifice options


• Leave entitlements including paid maternity and parental leave, FACS, long service, study leave and ADOs


• Access to childcare for HNE employees working at the John Hunter Hospital, Tamworth, Moree and Lake Macquarie. This is of course subject to availability

Allied Health Awards

HNE Health has held annual Allied Health Awards to recognise the important contribution Allied Health Professionals make. Nominations must meet five criteria and are nominated under the following categories:

• Assisting Allied Health Excellence - This award recognises Support workers to Allied Health Clinicians who continually demonstrated HNE’s CORE values, and whose support is pivotal in supporting the successful outcomes for patients and/or staff.


• Commitment to Aboriginal Health -  This award recognises an individual or Team who have demonstrated a commitment to improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients within the district.


• Early Career -  recognises someone within the first 5 years of their career who is displaying a commitment to quality and safety, outstanding interpersonal skills with fellow colleagues, delivering patient centred care and demonstrating their value as a team member.


• Excellence in Leadership and Management -  recognises an emerging or established Allied Health Leader who has demonstrated commitment to Hunter New England Health’s strategic priorities.


• Impact Achievement - recognises an individual or Team who have made outstanding achievements or improvements in line with Hunter New England Health’s strategic priorities.


• Team Culture -  recognises an Allied Health Team within HNE who have displayed a commitment to delivering patient centered care, quality and safety and demonstrating their value in working as a team.


• Lifetime Achievement Award

Nursing Awards

Excellence Awards

The HNE Health Excellence Awards are a way of formally recognising outstanding staff members and/or teams and acknowledging the work they do for others, day in, day out. They celebrate the pinnacle of clinical excellence, quality, innovation/improvement and outstanding achievement across the District and they feed directly into the NSW Health Awards.

• Sustainable Healthcare - HNE Health is taking a giant step towards clean, green healthcare, investing in solar power, exploring sustainable water practices and reducing waste to landfill to name a few


• Library service access for HNE employees to medical and health sciences is provided over many sites across the HNE district


• Corporate uniforms are made available and can be renewed once a year