Sick leave is paid leave granted by an employer to an employee for a period of time during which the employee is unable to attend work due to any illness or incapacity.
An employee is entitled to 8 days paid sick leave. For each completed period of employment of less than a year, the employee shall be entitled to at least one day sick leave on full pay for each completed 6 weeks of employment. Sick leave can be taken for part of a day.
For employees who are paid on the basis of the number of hours worked (e.g. part-time employees), a day means one-fifth of the number of hours that the employee would ordinarily have been required to work in a week averaged over each 6 weeks of employment. For example, an employee averaging 25 hours worked each week would accrue 5 hours sick leave for each 6 weeks of employment.
Employees are required to promptly notify their employer of any sickness and the length of absence.
If an absence is longer than 2 days an employee must give their employer a doctor's certificate about the nature of the illness or other evidence of the illness to the satisfaction of their employer.
Sick leave accumulates with the unused portion from any year of employment being carried over as an available entitlement in subsequent years. There is no limitation on the amount that accumulates.
Accumulated sick leave that has not been taken does not have to be paid out on termination.
Wageline's fact sheet on non-award employees:
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© The State of Queensland (Department of Justice and Attorney-General) 2009
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