When it comes to managing leave in the workplace, no matter what the length, it can be murky water to swim in. The Fair Work Act details leave in its entirety; annual, sick, parental and many more. Here is a summary of the different types of leave.
Annual Leave
All full time employees are entitled to four weeks of paid annual leave each year. Part time and casual employees are entitled to a proportion of the four weeks on a pro rata basis.
Personal Leave
What was once known as sick leave is now known under the Fair Work Act as ‘personal/carer’s leave’. Such leave may be taken by an employee unfit for work on account of a personal illness or injury, or by an employee who wishes to care for a person in their household or immediate family who is ill.
Long Service Leave
All employees are entitled to two months’ long service leave at their ordinary rate of pay after they have worked at the same employer for ten years. Employees are not entitled to request payment instead of taking long service leave. However, employees must be paid their long service leave entitlements on termination.
Parental Leave
All employees who have worked for their employer for at least twelve months are entitled to twelve months’ unpaid parental leave. The leave must be taken continuously, and cannot be broken up into separate periods.
Employees cannot simply be left out of the loop while they are on parental leave. The employer must take all reasonable steps to give the employee information about any decision which will have a significant effect on the status, pay or location of the employee’s pre-parental position.
Leave is a seemingly complicated concept which can be dangerous and risky to deal with. However, with the right advice, it can be a seamless and efficient task to achieve. Contact JFM Law on (02) 9199 8597 for a no obligation chat. If you would rather get in contact through email, send your question through or by email at wehelp@jfmlaw.com.au
Family and Domestic Violence Leave
All employees are entitled to 10 days of paid family and domestic violence leave each year. This includes full-time, part-time and casual employees.
The information contained in this post is current at the date of editing – 03 April 2024.
