37. SICK AND CARER'S LEAVE

Sick leave

37.1 A staff member who meets the requirements described in this clause will be entitled to the following paid leave if unable to perform his/her duties due to an illness or injury:

     (a) For continuing appointments, on commencement of appointment the staff member will be credited with 30 days of sick leave and a further 15 days for each year of service after initial service of 24 months;

     (b) For fixed-term appointments of 24 months or more, the same as for continuing appointments;

     (c) For fixed-term appointments of less than 24 months, on commencement of appointment the staff member will be credited with pro rata 30 days of sick leave per 24 months of service.  After expiry of the initial fixed-term appointment the staff member will be credited with a further 15 days for each year of service.

37.2 Unused sick leave entitlements accumulate from year to year.

37.3 For sick leave absences in excess of either three consecutive days (including weekends and public holidays) or six aggregate days in any year of service, a staff member will be required to provide satisfactory evidence of illness or incapacity.  Provided that clause 34.2 will apply where the University has reasonable grounds to dispute the genuineness of the staff member’s illness or incapacity. 

37.4 A staff member may apply to have accrued sick leave substituted for annual or long service leave on presentation of proof that he/she was ill during the period of leave.

37.5 Sick leave credits with employers recognised by the University for long service leave prior service purposes (see clause 38) will be transferable up to a maximum of 30 days.  Where a staff member was previously employed by the University and returns to continuing or fixed-term employment with the University within a period of 12 months or less, any unused sick leave from the staff member’s previous employment with the University will be recredited to the staff member.

Carer's Leave

37.6 A staff member will be entitled to access sick leave credits to provide care to a family member who requires the staff member’s care because of illness, injury or unexpected emergency affecting the family member.  The conditions prescribed in clauses 37.1 to 37.5 will apply save that reference to illness or incapacity of the staff member will be read as a reference to illness or incapacity of the family member.

37.7 If a staff member is required to care for a family member because of an injury, illness or unexpected emergency but either has exhausted his/her sick leave credits or is employed as a casual, the staff member is entitled to unpaid leave for a maximum of 2 days for each occurrence.

37.8 For carer's leave and unpaid carer's leave, a staff member must on each occurrence provide satisfactory evidence of the need to be absent from work on carer’s leave.

37.9 A staff member may apply to have accrued sick leave substituted for annual or long service leave on presentation of satisfactory evidence that, had the staff member been at work during the period of leave, the staff member would have needed to be absent from work on carer’s leave.