Recognised Employer Program – Terms and conditions

Recognised Employment Program Partner (‘REP Partner’) Terms and Conditions (‘Terms’)

1. Application of terms

1. Any defined terms in the Application form, have the same meaning when used in these Terms.
2. If you are approved as a REP Partner by CPA Australia you may participate in the Recognised Employer Program (‘Program’) as a REP Partner. On submitting this Application, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to accept and be bound by these Terms.
3. CPA Australia possesses a unilateral right to solely determine the interpretation of these Terms and no correspondence about the interpretation of the Terms will be entered. CPA Australia reserves the right and may, at its absolute discretion, amend, modify, change, or remove these Terms at any time.

2. Personal information and Privacy

In submitting this Application for the Program, you confirm and acknowledge that where you provide CPA Australia with any personal information of others (e.g. the name and email of the organisation’s staff) you have obtained and recorded the written consent of those individuals, and informed them that:

1. you are disclosing that information to CPA Australia;
2. if the Application is successful, the information will be retained by CPA Australia; and
3. they can access that information by contacting CPA Australia.

All personal information will be handled in accordance with the CPA Australia Privacy Policy.

In addition, all personal and/ or organisation information provided as part of the Application will be used for the purpose of assessing the Application and, if successful, to facilitate participation in the Program.

Email Address Requirement and Correspondence Consent

The Authorised Representative and the REP Coordinator shall each use their official employer email address when engaging in any communications or activities related to these Terms. 
If either the Authorised Representative or the REP Coordinator is a CPA Australia member, by signing this agreement, the Authorised Representative:

1. provides permission to CPA Australia to update their email address in the member records to reflect their employer email address; and
2. confirms that they have obtained consent from the REP Coordinator to allow CPA Australia to update their email address in the member records to reflect their employer email address.

As a result, all official membership correspondence, notices, and communications from CPA Australia will be sent to the updated employer email addresses.

3. How the program works

3.1 CPA Australia responsibilities

1. For the purposes of the Program, CPA Australia undertakes to:
   1. determine minimum learning & development standards (‘Minimum Standards’) in accounting & finance;
   2. review Applications to determine employer adherence to Minimum Standards, and suitability for the Program;
   3. provide REP Partners with brand guidelines for the purposes of the Program;
   4. publicise the Program. As such CPA Australia may use the names and logos of REP Partners to identify them as a REP Partner, at its sole discretion in any medium, including but not limited to brochures, electronically, online, on the corporate website (www.cpaaustralia.com.au). At CPA Australia’s request you agree to provide a copy of your logo for such use (in the format as requested) to publicise the Program and your status as a REP Partner; and
   5. issue certificates to REP Partners for the period that they hold REP Partner status (‘Recognition Period’).
2. CPA Australia reserves the right to require you to provide any additional supporting evidence it considers it may require. 

3.2 REP Partner responsibilities

1. For the purposes of the Program a REP Partner must:
   1. Ensure access is provided to all Members to enable fulfilment of all Continuing Professional Development (‘CPD’) in accordance with the CPA Australia By-Laws to Members. 
   2. Providing workplace opportunities to ensure that Members can satisfy the CPA Program ’Your Experience’ requirement, necessary to progress to CPA designation. 
   3. confirm that its learning and development policies and practices comply with the Minimum Standards.
   4. provide additional supporting evidence of compliance with the Minimum Standards (if requested by CPA Australia).
   5. support Members with record keeping for CPD. 
   6. inform CPA Australia of changes which may impact compliance with the Minimum Standards (including but not limited to any learning & development policies and practices). 
   7. comply with any policies or guidelines provided for the Program including brand guidelines.
   8. notify all relevant staff of the REP Partner status assigned and endorse/support its staff in choosing to undertake the CPA Program, by amongst other things, passing on offers, event invitations and communications from CPA Australia.
   9. ensure that staff that are Members with a CPA Australia Public Practice Certificate and/or a statutory registration (such as company auditor, company liquidator, tax agent, trustee in bankruptcy, financial service licensee or representative) continue to meet their specific CPD obligations associated with the certificate and/or statutory registration as required by the CPA Australia By-Laws. 
   10. commit to applying to renew your REP Partner status every three years, which includes 
       renewed self-assessment of your learning and development policies and practices against CPA Australia’s Minimum Standards every three years, based on the Minimum Standards in force at the time of renewal; and
   11. provide notification to CPA Australia of any non-compliance with the Minimum Standards within including at the time of renewal.

4. General

4.1 CPA Australia does not charge fees for participation in the Program or receive any other payment or reward for the Program. You are solely responsible for your expenses of applying for the Program and participating in the Program if accepted.

4.2 Should you be assigned REP Partner status, any subsequent renewal of your status as a REP Partner is at CPA Australia’s sole discretion.

4.3 CPA Australia may, at its absolute discretion (subject to the requirements of any applicable law), vary, suspend, or terminate the Program at any time and for any reason whatsoever and will not be liable for any losses, damages or expenses suffered by any REP Partner or their staff as a result.

4.4 Termination

1. Should you be assigned REP Partner status, CPA Australia may, at its absolute discretion, vary, suspend, or terminate your participation in the Program and revoke your status as a REP Partner with immediate effect, where CPA Australia has reason to believe:
   1. you have failed to meet and maintain an ongoing commitment to the Minimum Standards 
   2. you have failed to comply with CPA Australia’s monitoring procedures;
   3. you and/or your staff have engaged in any unlawful or other improper conduct;
   4. you have failed, or are no longer able or willing, to abide by these Terms, or any other requirements made known to you by CPA Australia from time to time;
   5. you failed to address Member complaints regarding you providing access to the CPA Program or access to learning and development;
   6. you have failed to submit timely and accurate information, where required by CPA Australia; or
   7. you and/or your staff have engaged in any other action or inaction (determined CPA Australia, at its sole and absolute discretion), to be sufficient grounds for the variation, suspension and/or termination, including but not limited to those that may bring CPA Australia or CPA Australia’s Members into disrepute. Such ground may include any action or inaction (whether direct or indirect) that may have a reputation impacts for CPA Australia, its members and/or the profession. 
2. If your status as a REP Partner is revoked, you must return your REP Partner certificate, and remove all references to being a REP Partner, including on your website immediately.

4.5 CPD: CPD Review of Members who are staff in REP Partners

CPA Australia Members are required to maintain current and accurate records of their CPD activities. To maintain the integrity of the CPA designation and its requirements, we conduct an annual review of the records of a selected number of Members.

This review assesses whether the Member has met their overall CPD obligations as outlined within the CPA Australia By-laws. Where a Member also holds a CPA Australia public practice certificate and/or statutory registration (such as company auditor, company liquidator, tax agent, trustee in bankruptcy, financial service licensee or representative) the review will assess if they have meet their specific CPD obligations associated with the certificate and/or statutory registration.

Selected Members will be asked to share the records of their CPD activities. We encourage Members to keep their CPA Australia CPD Diary updated each year, as the diary will ensure the most streamlined experience during the review process. As a REP Partner you are required to support Members with meeting their CPD obligations and keeping records for CPD review requirements.

You must communicate to your staff that they are required to inform you if they have been selected for a CPD review and to inform you of the outcome.

Should your staff have difficulty with compliance in respect of their CPD requirements, it is recommended that they engage you for support. Should you require any assistance please contact your Account Manager or email us at [email protected]

If CPA Australia’s review reveals that the Member’s record keeping has not been compliant, CPA Australia can/may undertake a review of other Members of the REP Partner, at its sole discretion.  If CPA Australia is not satisfied that the Members have been keeping adequate records, then it may direct the REP Partner to alter its internal compliance and procedure to remedy the deficiencies. 

In accordance with section 4.4 above, CPA Australia reserves its right to vary, suspend, or terminate your participation in the Program and revoke your status as a REP Partner for not complying with these Terms.

5. Permission to use Recognised Employer Program Partner trade mark

5.1 CPA Australia owns the exclusive right, title, interest, and goodwill in the REP Partner trade mark (‘REP Mark’). The use of the REP Mark by a REP Partner is set out in the Brand Guidelines (’Guidelines’). The REP Mark will remain the property of CPA Australia and nothing in these Terms or the Guidelines transfers or creates any proprietary right, title or interest in the REP Mark in favour of you. 

5.2 CPA Australia grants to you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, royalty free license, with no right of sub-license, to use the REP Mark during the Recognition Period as set out in the Guidelines, or as otherwise directed by CPA Australia. 

5.3 We may at any time at our sole discretion and by written notice to you within the Recognition Period, revoke permission to use the REP Mark, if you use the REP Mark contrary to these Terms and/or the Guidelines 

5.4 Permission to use the REP Mark automatically expires if your Recognition Period expires or your status as a REP is revoked in accordance with paragraph 4.4(a).

5.5 If permission is revoked under paragraph 5.3 or expires under paragraph 5.4, you must: 

1. immediately cease to use the REP Mark including on any format; and 
2. permanently delete and/or destroy any items, stationary that contain the REP Mark;