Natural Disaster Leave is something most people don’t think about—until they need it. That’s exactly what happened in South East Queensland during Cyclone Alfred, and later, heavy rainstorms causing flooding in Central and North Queensland.
Natural disasters like cyclones, floods, and bushfires can cause significant damage to communities, businesses, and individuals. Under the Fair Work Act, however, employers can “stand down” employees without pay if their workplace is impacted by such events. This includes instances where natural disasters disrupt work conditions.
For this reason, the SDA always strives to secure paid Natural Disaster Leave in all workplace agreements. This leave typically applies to permanent employees (and sometimes casual employees) who are directly affected by these disasters—whether it’s because their property is at risk or they need to care for children sent home early from school due to emergency circumstances.
Here’s a quick look at Natural Disaster Leave entitlements for employees under some major SDA Enterprise Agreements:
- Big W 3 days per event (can be extended)
- Bunnings At company’s discretion
- Coles 3 days per year (pro-rata for part-timers)
- David Jones 3 days per event
- Kmart 3 days per year (including casuals, if rostered)
- Myer (Part 1 employees) 3 days per year
- Officeworks 3 days per year
- Reject Shop 3 days per year
- Super Retail Group 3 days per year (including casuals)
- Target 3 days per year (pro-rata for part-timers)
- Woolworths 3 days per event
If you’re entitled to paid Natural Disaster Leave, it’s crucial to ensure that it’s correctly applied—meaning it should be paid as Natural Disaster Leave and not as Annual Leave or Personal Leave.
I had the opportunity to assist a couple of SDA members with this issue during the cyclone.
Case 1: Jamie
Jamie, an employee at a large supermarket, lives in a flood-prone area. When the Queensland government advised residents to prepare for flooding, Jamie called his workplace to let them know he would stay home to protect his property. His workplace approved his absence but said it would be recorded as Annual Leave.
Knowing this wasn’t right, Jamie reached out to the SDA for assistance. We immediately provided the store with the relevant clause from the Natural Disaster Leave policy. However, they still insisted on using Annual Leave. We escalated the issue to State HR, who agreed that it should be paid as Natural Disaster Leave. But the following day, his leave was still recorded as Annual Leave, so we made another call. Finally, the issue was corrected, and Jamie’s leave was appropriately changed to Natural Disaster Leave.
Case 2: Riley
Riley, also working at a supermarket, was unable to attend work due to flooding in her area during the cyclone. She notified her workplace, and everything seemed fine until she received her payslip. It showed her leave had been processed as Annual Leave rather than Natural Disaster Leave.
Riley contacted the SDA to inquire about her entitlements. After confirming that she was entitled to Natural Disaster Leave, the SDA Information Officer brought the issue to our attention. We promptly worked with the store to resolve the mistake.
Both Jamie and Riley were grateful for the SDA’s support. Receiving entitlements isn’t always straightforward, and it’s reassuring to know that professionals are advocating on their behalf to ensure everything is handled correctly.
Natural Disaster Leave is a vital entitlement, and it’s essential that workers understand and access it when needed. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, don’t hesitate to reach out to the SDA for assistance.
By Liz Berry,
SDA Organiser