10 days "Personal Leave"

[Danvic]

Hi,

Can some please explain to me the above in detail.

I understand that this covers sick leave, but does it cover going to a funeral for example, or if someone has an exam coming up can they take 2 days study leave.

Our current sick leave policy states that if someone is sick for 2 days or more they need to bring in a doc cert, is this ok?

Thanks in advance.

[SoniaK]

Hello

Under WorkChoices, "personal leave" is a combination of the old "sick leave" and "carer's leave". Although your policy may extend the use of personal leave, as a basic entitlement it does not cover absences for study leave or attending funerals.

The WR Act provides that an employer can ask for a certificate from a registered health practitioner for any absence. It's fine for your policy to say that a certificate is required for absences of two days or more, but you can't specify that it must be from a "doctor". The registered health practitioner specified in the Act includes phsyios, dentists, pharmacists, etc (vaires from date-to-date).

SoniaK

[Ms_HR]

Hi Danvic,

Personal incorporates sick and carer's leave all together. Under workchoices an employee is entitled to 10 days of paid peronsal leave, two days of paid compassionate leave per occasion and two days of unpaid carer's leave per occasion if all paid leave entitlements have been exhausted.

Workchoices also states that an employer can require an employee to obtain a medical certificate/stat dec for all personal leave occurences etc. It is down to your individual company policy wether this is on every occasion or after so many consecutive days.

Under Workchoices an employer has no obligation to provide study leave (paid or unpaid) to an employee. Generally again it comes down to company policy personal leave should generally be used for instance where an employee or dependant is sick or they need to provide care for a dependant etc.

Hope this helps!

Ms_HR