Sick leave myths put to rest
If you are too sick to go to work, but unsure of rules pertaining to sick leave, then carrying on reading.
A sick leave cycles refers to the period of 36 months of employment with the employer. This is either from the commencement of employment or from the completion of the employee’s prior sick leave cycle.
During that time, an employee is entitled to an amount of paid sick leave equal to the number of days they would have worked in a six-week period.
If you are absent from work for more than two consecutive days, you need to produce a medical certificate from your GP, or other registered medical professional.
If you are off sick more than once (even one day at a time) during an eight-week period without producing a medical certificate, the employer does not have to pay the employee for the sick day.
Employers must pay employees for a day’s sick leave if it falls within the set number of days. But an agreement between employer and employee may reduce that amount to 75 per cent of normal pay.
Family responsibility leave (three days of paid leave) may be taken by employees who have worked for longer than four months and who works at least four days a week.
Family responsibility leave may also be taken in the event of the death of an employee’s spouse, life partner, or immediate family (parent, adoptive parent, grandparent, child, adopted child, grandchild or sibling.)
