Permanent employees (this means full time or part time but not casual employees) have an entitlement to 10 days (pro-rata for part time employees) of paid personal or carer’s leave in each year.
Employees have a right to take paid personal or carer’s leave when:
- the employee is not fit for work because of a personal illness or injury (including pregnancy related illness); or
- to provide care or support to a member of the employee’s immediate family, or a member of the employee’s household, who requires care or support because of a personal illness or injury, or any unexpected emergency.
A member of the employee’s immediate family is defined in the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) and means their:
- spouse;
- former spouse;
- de facto partner;
- former de facto partner;
- child;
- parent;
- grandparent;
- grandchild;
- sibling; or
- child, parent, grandparent, grandchild or sibling of the employee’s spouse or de facto partner (or former spouse or former de facto partner)
Your employer may permit you to access your personal leave in other circumstances in accordance with your employment contract or your workplace’s policies and procedures. For example, this might include being able to take personal leave in circumstances where your pet is unwell. However, this is not required by the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) and is at your employer’s discretion.
If you have any questions in relation to leave entitlements, please contact Morgan Couzens Legal on (03)57224681.
MORGAN COUZENS LEGAL
For more information on personal or carer’s leave, please read the below blogs:
Or read the following from the Fair Work Ombudsman:
https://www.fairwork.gov.au/leave/sick-and-carers-leave
