CORONAVIRUS — PUBLIC SECTOR — LEAVE
106. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Public Sector Management:
(1) Can the
minister confirm that Western Australian public servants have received an
additional 20 days' sick leave and 10 days' carer's
leave; and, if so, is this leave a COVID measure?
(2) How many
public servants are eligible for the additional leave and in what departments
and occupations?
(3) What are the
start and end dates for the additional leave entitlements?
(4) What is the
cost of this measure to the wages budget?
(5) Will this
leave entitlement accrue or be retained if unused after the end date, and can
it be cashed out by public servants?
Hon SUE
ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) Public sector
employees have not received an additional 20 days' sick leave and 10
days' carer's leave. Under Public Sector Labour Relations
Circular 6/2020, public sector employees may access up to 20 days paid COVID-19
leave if they test positive to COVID-19; are experiencing an adverse vaccine
reaction; are presenting for COVID-19 tests and isolating, awaiting test
results; are subject to a government requirement to isolate or quarantine; or
are required to care for someone else in particular circumstances.
(2) All public
sector employees, including casuals, can access COVID-19 leave.
(3) The 20 days of COVID-19 leave was introduced on 23
March 2020. On 5 February 2022, COVID-19 leave was reset to 20 days for
every public sector employee irrespective of the number of days taken by an
employee before that date. There is no end date for COVID-19 leave.
(4) No additional
funding has been provided to agencies for COVID-19 leave. Agencies are expected
in the first instance to accommodate this
leave from within their existing approved salary budgets. Additional funding
for individual agencies may be considered at a later date, depending on the
actual take-up of this leave.
(5) COVID-19
leave is not accruable and cannot be cashed out.