Leave types for COVID absences

FACT SHEET ON COVID LEAVE

WHAT ARE THE LEAVE TYPES THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN RELATION TO ABSENCE DUE TO COVID-19?

There are four different types of leave which may be applicable depending on the circumstances, as set out below.

Special paid leave – for when an employee is required to quarantine due to close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 outside their authorized duties.

Where an employee is fit for duty and would otherwise attend the workplace but is required to quarantine due to close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 under the pandemic orders, that employee should work remotely where reasonable, practicable and appropriate (or attend for duty if conditions are met under the exemption for education workers under the pandemic orders).  

Where working remotely is not an option, an employee who is required to quarantine may apply for up to 5 days’ special paid leave per occasion, which may be used on up to 2 occasions.

An employee may make application to their principal for this leave and must provide a statutory declaration stating that they are required to quarantine due to being a close contact of a confirmed case of COVID-19 and the dates for which that quarantine applies. This leave should be processed as “close contact isolation” leave.

An employee who is in quarantine and on special leave may become unwell, or it may become necessary for them to care for a member of their immediate family or a household member. If this happens, special paid leave will cease and the employee may access personal or carer’s leave.

Please note there is no entitlement to access special paid leave for periods of quarantine or isolation related to personal domestic or international travel.

Where an employee has exhausted their entitlement to special paid leave, the school should contact employee relations for advice on what will apply.

Personal leave – for when an employee contracts COVID-19 due to exposure outside the course of their authorised duties.

A person who contracts COVID-19 outside their authorised duties may only access personal leave. No special leave is available in these circumstances.  

Infectious diseases leave – quarantine – (or close contact quarantine leave) - for when an employee is required to quarantine due to exposure to COVID-19 in the course of their authorised duties.  

While education contacts are not currently considered close contacts, and therefore an employee would not need to quarantine due to exposure at the workplace, in circumstances where an employee is required to quarantine due to exposure in the workplace, they should be provided remote work where reasonable, practicable and appropriate. Where remote work is not reasonable, practicable and appropriate, the employee may be granted leave with full pay subject to meeting the requirements of the infectious diseases leave policy for the duration of their quarantine period.

In instances where an application does not include the evidence required by the policy but there is alternative evidence an employee is required to quarantine due to that employee being exposed to COVID-19 in the course of their authorised duties and is not able to work remotely, a principal may approve “close contact isolation leave” instead of infectious diseases leave for the period the employee is legally required to quarantine.

Infectious diseases leave – for where an employee contracts COVID-19 in the course of their authorised duties?

An employee who contracts COVID-19 in the course of their duties will be entitled to infectious diseases leave. The evidence requirements for application are set out in the infectious diseases leave policy and must be met for leave to be approved.