The issue
Charlie is a casual worker who normally does 3 afternoon shifts a week at a supermarket. She called up her store to let them know she was sick and couldn’t work her afternoon shift that day.
She had woken up feeling really unwell and called her manager to tell them that morning.
Her manager told her that if she didn’t find a replacement for her shift that she would have to come in and do it.
Is this allowed
No. Your employer should be finding someone to do your shift if you’re unwell.
It is not your responsibility to find a replacement for your rostered shift once you’ve notified management.
How the SDA helped
Charlie was feeling stressed and messaging her co-workers to see if anyone was available.
When she didn’t hear back from anyone, she called the SDA Delegate who works in her store to check to see what her rights were.
Her SDA Delegate explained to Charlie that her only obligation was to let management know that she would not be able to work.
The Delegate also offered to help Charlie raise this with the store manager if she needed to.
The outcome
After speaking to her SDA Delegate, Charlie felt more confident to go back to her manager to say she wasn’t coming in despite not finding a replacement.
As she is a casual employee, she also has the right to decline any shift or take unpaid leave when she can’t attend because of illness or injury.
What to do next
If you’re unsure what to do when you’re sick, the SDA can help including:
- Explain what your rights and entitlements are
- Connect you with the SDA Delegate in your store who can provide advice and support
- Approach your manager on your behalf if necessary