Carer’s Leave Entitlement Estimator
A niche but valuable tool for estimating carer’s leave entitlements.
Quick Use Samples
Your Employment
Leave Entitlement
As a full-time employee, you are entitled to 10.0 days of paid personal/carer's leave per year. You also have access to 2 days of unpaid carer's leave per occasion if you run out of paid leave. Over your 1 years of service, you would have accrued approximately 76 hours of paid leave.
pro-rata for part-time
Under the National Employment Standards (NES), permanent employees receive 10 days of paid personal/carer's leave per year. For more details, visit the Fair Work website.
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What is Carer's Leave?
Carer's leave, which is part of the personal/carer's leave entitlement in Australia, allows an employee to take time off to care for a member of their immediate family or household who is sick, injured, or facing an unexpected emergency. This is a core entitlement under the National Employment Standards (NES).
Behind the Formula
Under the NES, full-time employees are entitled to 10 days of paid personal/carer's leave per year. Part-time employees receive a pro-rata amount based on their hours of work. The entitlement accrues progressively throughout the year and rolls over from year to year. Casual employees are entitled to 2 days of unpaid carer's leave per occasion.
Expert Insights
- The definition of 'immediate family or household member' is broad. It includes spouses, de facto partners, children, parents, grandparents, grandchildren, and siblings of an employee or their partner.
- An 'unexpected emergency' is a key trigger for this leave. This could include situations like a breakdown of childcare arrangements or a severe illness affecting a family member.
- Employers can request evidence for carer's leave, such as a medical certificate or a statutory declaration. This is a reasonable request to ensure the leave is being taken for a legitimate purpose.
Actionable Tips
- Notify your employer as soon as possible that you need to take carer's leave. You should also let them know the expected duration of your absence.
- Understand the notice and evidence requirements in your workplace. Having a doctor's certificate can prevent any disputes over your entitlement.
- Keep track of your leave balance. Knowing how much personal/carer's leave you have accrued is important for planning, especially if you have family members with chronic health conditions.
Real-World Examples
A child's sudden illness
A full-time employee's child wakes up with a high fever and cannot go to daycare. The employee is entitled to take paid carer's leave for the day to look after their child.
Caring for an elderly parent
An employee's elderly mother has a fall and needs to be taken to hospital. They can use their paid carer's leave to assist their mother.
A casual employee's situation
A casual retail worker's partner is involved in a minor car accident. They are entitled to 2 days of unpaid carer's leave to support their partner.
Glossary of Terms
National Employment Standards (NES)
A set of 11 minimum standards of employment that apply to all national system employees in Australia.
Pro-rata
A Latin term meaning 'in proportion'. For part-time employees, leave entitlements are calculated in proportion to their hours of work compared to a full-time employee.
Statutory Declaration
A written statement that a person signs and declares to be true and correct before an authorised witness. It can be used as evidence for leave in some circumstances.