Aged care workers employed under three awards will be entitled to two weeks’ paid leave if they are required to self-isolate due to having coronavirus symptoms or being a close contact of a confirmed case, following a ruling from the Fair Work Commission.
Key points:
- The Fair Work Commission ruled the paid leave was necessary nationwide due to recent events demonstrating “how rapidly circumstances can change”
- The ruling follows submissions from the Australian Council of Trade Unions, the Health Services Union and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation calling for paid pandemic leave to apply for all staff in aged care across the country until the end of September
- Only casual employees who can have been employed on a “regular and systemic basis” will be entitled to the paid leave
The commission’s ruling grants paid pandemic leave to staff working in residential aged care under the Aged Care Award, the Nurses Award and the Health Professionals Award.
The amendments will come into effect from Wednesday, July 29, and last for three months.
Conditions attached to the paid leave include:
- Workers must be aged 17 or older and be likely to have worked during the self-isolation period
- Cannot be receiving any income — including other leave or JobKeeper — during their time in quarantine
- If workers test positive to the virus they will be provided with workers compensation leave, which w