Section 5: Job Requirements

Joyful Journey Occupational Therapy
Policy: Team Member Leave (Planned & Unplanned)
Effective Date: 09/05/2025
Approved by: Director, Joyful Journey Occupational Therapy
Review Date: Annually

1. Purpose

To outline the procedures for requesting, approving, and managing clinician leave at Joyful Journey Occupational Therapy (JJOT), balancing staff wellbeing with client care and operational needs.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all clinical team members, including employees and contractors, taking any form of leave (paid or unpaid), including annual, sick, personal, parental, study, or long service leave.

3. Guiding Principles

• Prioritise clinician wellbeing and work-life balance

• Maintain consistent, high-quality care for clients

• Ensure transparent planning and communication

• Comply with the Fair Work Act, Victorian Government Employment Regulations, WorkSafe Victoria, NES, and relevant contracts

4. Types of Leave

• Annual Leave

  • Paid leave for rest and recreation

  • Full-time Employees: Full-time employees are entitled to 4 weeks of paid annual leave per year of service. This entitlement accrues progressively, meaning that employees earn a portion of their leave for each completed month of work.

  • Part-time Employees: Part-time employees are entitled to 4 weeks of annual leave, pro-rated based on their hours worked.

  • Casual Employees: Casual employees do not accrue annual leave. However, they are entitled to a casual loading of 25% on their hourly rate to compensate for not receiving paid leave.

• Personal/Carer’s Leave

  • Paid leave when unwell or injured

  • Paid leave to care for a family/household member

  • Full-time and Part-time Employees: Employees are entitled to 10 days of paid personal/carer’s leave per year. This leave accrues progressively and carries over from year to year.

  • Casual Employees: Casual employees are not entitled to paid personal/carer’s leave.

• Parental Leave

  • Unpaid/paid leave for birth or adoption of a child

  • Employees are entitled to unpaid parental leave under the Fair Work Act after 12 months of continuous service.

  • Parental leave can be taken for the birth or adoption of a child and must be taken in one continuous period (though split periods may be allowed with agreement).

  • Employees may be eligible for Government Paid Parental Leave through the Australian Government, which is separate from employer-provided leave.

• Compassionate Leave

  • Paid leave for death/serious illness in family

  • Employees are entitled to 2 days of paid compassionate leave per occasion. This leave can be taken in the event of the death or serious illness of a close family member (e.g., parent, child, spouse, sibling, or other close relatives).

• Study/PD Leave

  • Time off for training or study (approved case-by-case)

  • May be granted upon request and approval by the Director

• Long Service Leave

  • After 7–10 years, in line with state legislation

  • Long Service Leave is provided to employees who have worked for the business for 7 years or more. The entitlement is generally 13 weeks of paid leave after 10 years of continuous service, pro-rated for those with 7 or more years of service.

  • Employees can take long service leave after 7 years of service, and it must be taken within a reasonable time frame as outlined by state regulations.

• Unpaid Leave

  • May be granted upon request and approval subject to other leave types being exhausted.

  • Requests for leave without pay will be considered in extenuating circumstances on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by the Director.

• WorkCover (Workers’ Compensation Leave)

  • In the event of an injury or illness sustained while at work, employees are entitled to workers' compensation under WorkSafe Victoria.

  • Employees who are injured at work are entitled to medical treatment and wage replacement if they cannot work.

  • Employees are entitled to paid leave for the duration of their recovery if the injury is covered by WorkSafe Victoria. However, this leave is often paid at a rate less than the employee’s normal salary, as outlined in the WorkSafe guidelines.

  • Reporting an Injury:

    • Any work-related injury or illness must be reported immediately to management and documented for WorkCover claims purposes.

    • Employees must follow all workplace health and safety protocols and complete any necessary forms for reporting incidents.

5. Planned Leave Process

• Request Procedure

  1. Submit planned leave via Quickbooks/Employee Hero at least 6 weeks in advance.

  2. Include proposed dates and type of leave.

  3. Discuss with the Director or mentor during supervision if relevant.

• Approval Process

• Leave is reviewed by the Practice Manager and approved by the Director (or delegate).

• Approval is based on:

  • Client coverage

  • Team availability

  • Clinical and operational needs

Preparing for Leave

Once approved, clinicians must:

• • Notify clients at least 1-2 weeks in advance. This can be done in collaboration with reception and clinicians must keep receptionists updated on client's knowledge of their leave. 

  • Arrange session rescheduling or temporary therapist coverage if possible.

  • Ensure all notes, reports, and handovers are up to date

  • Set out-of-office notifications and update the team re. availability

  • Notify admin of any sessions needing cancellation or flagging in calendar

6. Unplanned Leave (e.g. Sick or Emergency)

• Notification

  1. Notify the Director and admin team as soon as possible, ideally before 8:30am.

  2. Use phone or text for urgent notice, followed by written confirmation.

• Immediate Action

• Admin will notify clients and cancel/reschedule appointments.

• Clinician to apply for carers leave/sick leave on Employment Hero as soon as possible, ideally before 5:30pm.

• Medical certificate required after 2 or more consecutive sick days and immediately preceding and following public holidays (or earlier if requested).

6a. Hybrid Unplanned Leave

• To allow for flexibility for employees, Joyful Journey Occupational Therapy offers hybrid leave as an option for sick leave days. 

• This allows clinicians to complete 1:1 therapy services (e.g. telehealth sessions, client phone calls etc.) from home.

• For hours worked (where revenue was generated), the clinician is not required to take sick leave. 

• For all hours where a revenue from 1:1 therapy services was not generated (i.e. clients declined a telehealth service or no client was scheduled in that time), the clinician is required to apply for sick leave. 

• Clinicians are expected to rest and not be active/available online during non-face-to-face time. Time not spent generating revenue is expected to be taken as sick leave. Non-face-to-face billables are expected to be left to be completed during a non-hybrid/sick leave work day. 

7. Extended Leave (e.g. parental, long service, study)

• Discuss with the Director at least 3 months in advance if possible.

• A formal handover plan must be developed for:

  • Client transitions

  • Team communication

  • Case summaries and documentation

• For parental leave: refer also to JJOT’s separate Parental Leave Policy.

8. Caseload Management During Leave

• JJOT aims to minimise disruption by:

  • Offering clients the choice to pause or see another therapist

  • Providing warm handovers and joint sessions when possible

  • Documenting key clinical strategies and client preferences in therapy plans

  • Prioritising continuity for high-risk or vulnerable clients

9. Leave Calendar & Planning

• A shared leave calendar is maintained by leadership to track planned absences.

• Clinicians are encouraged to plan annual leave early in the year to support equitable distribution and coverage.

10. Responsibility Overview

• Clinician: Submit requests, plan ahead, communicate with clients, admin team and clinician team as appropriate.

• Practice Manager: Manage scheduling and coverage

• Admin Team: Manage cancellations, remind clients of cancellations (secondary to clinician), update calendar

• Director: Approve leave, support wellbeing planning

11. Policy Review

This policy is reviewed annually or following significant staffing or operational changes.