Guys this morning I called up my employer and as to get today off because I need be be with my partner to look after her as she is not feeling well. I was told that such leave are not considered as sick leave (as I am not sick) nor as an annual leave. But I know a bit about a carer leave but didn't wanted to lecture them about it them on the phone and I don't know in details about such leave. Guys please help me to know what exactly are my entitlements to such leaves. Am I allowed to have paid leave in such occasions or not? So, that I can throw this to my managers face tomorrow when I get to work.
Thanks
Need advice in regards to a carer leave.
abhishesh on 20/06/2014 - 19:26
Comments
So looking on to the information 8n the website I think I am eligible and have rights to get one. Is that right.? By way thanks for that. But I am curious why my employer dont onow about this.
What is the size of company you work with? Big corporate you can ask for advice from HR. If small company, the question should be asked is "my employer doesn't know or doesn't want to know"? Depend on how much you need your job, try to work it out in a civilised manner.
Look through your employee agreement . There should be something written on that? When my parent got sick last year , i asked my employer for a carers leave and they told me no such thing. I was then look up on my employee agreement and found that sick leave is also carers leave. I bring that agreement with me to My employer the next day and they finally approve it
Through my employer I have unlimited sick leave and 5 days carers leave a year, but that's all stated in the contracts when I signed on, not everyone is so lucky. Depending on what ur employer is like with sick leave, if they need a doctors cert etc, id just tell the I had gastro. Pretty harsh if they make you go to a doctor with gastro given possible implications & no one ever comes to check how you are with Gastro.
My ex employer insisted on medical certificates even if we were only away for one day with something like gastro. I had to sit in the doctor surgery waiting room with a bucket, it was horrible :( In hindsight, I should have gone to work sick and vomited in my boss's office "accidentally".
Should be referring to Fairwork National Employment Standards 1st, then Award and then contract/company policy for any additional benefit.
Minimum standard for a full-time worker is 10 days
An employee can take paid carer's leave to care for or support a member of their immediate family or household who is sick, injured or has an unexpected emergency.
It is common for an employer to require a medical certificate for carers leave, especially if for an adult and not a child. If an adult is that sick that they require a carer an employer is likely to deem it reasonable to expect that medical advice has been obtained.
How many days are you taking off ?
If it is just for 1 day, I would have rung up as sick - but don't get caught at the chemist getting pills for your partner and stopping off to pick up pizza, or calling into the bank and other errands etc. You'd have to stay at home taking care of your partner.
If your partner needs further days care, then your employer may require YOUR sick cert, and it becomes difficult.And why is there so much anger towards employers anyway ?
Thanks MITM,
Yes i just called sick for 1 day .the reason i am unhappy with them is when they told me that i have to other days in a week to cover up my hours for the sick. I dont know why they think we dont know about the industrial relation.
You probably are entitled to Carers leave in your employment. But in my opinion if it's for an adult then it needs to be a serious illness, where you are providing some type of care they cannot do without.
So not just if they are feeling terrible and are sick in bed and need a bit of love. More if they are running a fever and the doctor has told you that someone needs to be monitoring it/keeping them comfortable etc.
Or for example they have gastro and are too physically weak to do what they need to do to hydrate, take medication etc.
Other examples might be someone who has had some sort of bad news, eg a person has lost a spouse/child etc and they go into shock & cannot look after their immediate needs.
Or even someone with a mental health issue having a very bad day, and cannot be left alone.
In any case, the doctor should be writing a certificate which includes reference to needing you around.
But if something like that happened, then I would be checking your entitlements.
See link to NSW Industrial Relations
Sick leave is now called Personal/Carer leave.