Qantas does not have to pay sick leave to the 25,000 workers that it temporarily stood down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Court has ruled.
Key points:
- The airline’s staff can still access annual leave, long service leave and JobKeeper payments
- But the court ruled they are not entitled to sick leave if they have been furloughed
- Qantas stood down two-thirds of its workforce in mid-March
The court agreed with Qantas’ position — that its staff cannot access paid compassionate, personal or carer’s leave because