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Personal Leave is in every SDA Agreement and is one of the National Employment Standards (NES).

Personal Leave covers Sick Leave and Carer’s Leave. Sick Leave can be used when the employee is sick. Carer’s Leave can be used when an employee provides care or support to a member of their immediate family or household who is unwell or has a medical emergency. The NES provides that permanent employees accrue 10 days of Personal Leave per year.

I’m sick, what’s the procedure?

Ring your workplace as soon as possible. Inform your store manager or the most senior person. Try to give as much notice as possible that you are unable to come into work.

How can I check my Personal Leave provisions?
The National Employment Standards and your SDA-negotiated Agreements are available in the SDA members area so you can simply log in and read
about your entitlements.

I’m sick, should I stay home?
If you’re sick, you can’t work at full capacity you may be risking your health and that of your fellow workers if you go to work. Sick Leave should only be used when you are genuinely ill and yes, you should stay home.

My boss is pressuring me to come in …
Your boss is not a doctor. It’s counterproductive for employers to insist on sick workers coming into work because germs can be spread among fellow workers.
Some employers may say, “we can’t replace you … you are going to have to come in”. This is wrong and may set back your recovery and going to work is not only unhealthy for you, it’s bad for your workplace. If you need help, call the SDA on 3833 9500.

I’m a casual, do I get Sick Leave?
Most casual workers don’t get paid Sick Leave but they receive a higher rate of pay in the form of a casual loading to compensate for this. Importantly, casual workers are entitled to take unpaid Sick Leave.

Do I need a Medical Certificate?
Some Agreements provide for two single-day absences annually without the need for a Medical Certificate. After this, employees can be asked to provide either a Medical Certificate or a Statutory Declaration. In general, casual employees are not required to provide Medical Certificates.

While a Medical Certificate is the best form of evidence, other forms of evidence such as a Statutory Declaration will be sufficient. All these details are in your Agreement or the NES which is available on sda.au/qld or call the SDA on 3833 9500 and ask us to check your sick-leave provisions.