COVID-19 Public Sector Updates
Western Australians look to the public sector to provide certainty and leadership. We are continuing to work with the government and public sector leaders on your behalf to maximise your health and safety as you go about the important business of making WA work.
We also encourage all members to regularly check the wa.gov.au COVID-19 Coronavirus Information page for official notices.
2023
NEW
Updated government circular:
COVID-19 FAQs
Am I eligible for COVID-19 leave? I am employed as a part-time/casual worker.
COVID-19 leave is available to all public sector employees, including casuals. Your pay during paid COVID-19 leave is calculated according to the rostered or ordinary hours you would have worked on that day. Paid leave for a casual employee is to be calculated with reference to the employee’s rostered future shifts or, if there is no certainty about future rosters, the preceding four-week average of shifts worked.
What happens if I exhaust my Personal/Sick Leave before accessing COVID-19 leave, if I am diagnosed with COVID?
If you have exhausted your Personal/Sick Leave, you are able to access your paid COVID-19 leave entitlement of five non-cumulative days.
In compelling circumstances, an employer may provide you with additional COVID-19 leave if you are unable to attend work because of testing positive to COVID-19.
In determining whether compelling circumstances exist, relevant considerations may include whether the employer considers the employee is likely to have contracted COVID-19 while performing their duties.
As stated in the Circular at 17, if you have exhausted all paid COVID-19 leave entitlements, you may choose to access other paid leave entitlements you have, or work remotely with agreement from your employer.
Under Clause 40 of the Public Sector CSA Agreement 2022, am I still entitled to Public Health Emergency Leave of 20 days of non-cumulative leave?
If your employment is covered by the Public Sector CSA Agreement 2022, you are entitled to 20 days of non-cumulative leave for public health emergencies that meet the requirements of this clause. However, your entitlement to Clause 40 does not apply to COVID-19 leave, as it is no longer classified as a Public Health Emergency.
When will the revised COVID-19 leave arrangements come into effect?
The current arrangements under Circular 6/2020 will remain in effect until 1 April 2023. The new COVID-19 arrangements will be effective from 1 April 2023 replacing all existing COVID-19 leave entitlements.
