Following the announcement from the Premier and Department of Health regarding the lock down in South Australia, I take this opportunity to confirm the following leave arrangements concerning COVID that will be available.
All staff (including casuals) will have access to up to ten working days of paid Special Leave for COVID related reasons. The arrangements exceed the requirements of our Enterprise Agreement for all categories of employment and are intended to offer some assistance to staff during this time.
The guidelines concerning the use of this leave is outlined below:
Continuing and contract staff:
- who have contracted COVID-19 will have access to their accrued Personal Leave as normal. Staff members with insufficient accrued leave may access paid Special Leave for COVID related reasons.
- who are required by the Health Department to self-isolate will first be considered for their ability to work from home. Those whose duties make this impossible will have access to paid Special Leave for COVID related reasons.
- who are required to care for a family member who is sick related to COVID will have access to their accrued Personal (carer’s) Leave as normal. Staff members with insufficient accrued leave may access paid Special Leave.
- In an imposed Shutdown, some staff will be required to work to support essential functions on campus and some will be required to work from home. Staff not able to work due to the nature of their role will have access to paid Special Leave for COVID related purposes, Annual Leave, Long Service Leave or Leave Without Pay.
- In the event of an imposed government shut down in relation to schools (not when a parent elects to keep their children at home) the provision of up to 10 days Special Paid Leave can be accessed immediately.
- In the event of a government-imposed shutdown in relation to childcare centres and where a child is unable to attend childcare due to the parent not being an essential worker (not where the parent elects to keep the child at home).
- Please note - The provision of up to 10 days Special Paid Leave can be accessed immediately. Staff who work a smaller fraction will be eligible for the equivalent to their fraction i.e. if employed 0.8FTE, you can access up to 8 days over a 2-week period.
Casual staff:
- who have been rostered for work in the period related to the lock down will have access to up to ten days paid Special Leave applicable to the rostered work they would have otherwise undertaken if they are diagnosed with COVID-19, required to self-isolate, or during an imposed Shutdown and no work is available to them as a result.