Short-Term Family Emergencies

A number of flexible, short term leave options are available to staff members to take for care a sick family member. Staff may also use their annual leave, long service leave and leave without pay entitlements to meet family emergencies.

Carers Leave

Up to a maximum of 10 working days per year is available to all staff to provide care and support for a family member.Carers leave is non-accumulative and is deducted from combined available entitlements of special and sick leave. Where a staff member has exhausted their sick leave for carers leave in any one year period, they may use annual leave or long service leave which can be taken in single days.

Compassionate Leave

Compassionate leave is available when a family member:

• contracts or develops an illness or sustains a personal injury that poses a serious threat to their life
• sustains a personal injury that poses a serious threat to their life
• dies.

Leave is granted up to a maximum of three days per occasion. Leave taken in excess of the maximum is either unpaid or taken as annual leave or long service leave.

Special Leave

Staff members may take up to a total of three working days paid leave in each calendar year for absences caused by emergency circumstances.