Unpaid carer's leave
Coronavirus and Australian workplace laws
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All employees, including casual employees are entitled to 2 days unpaid carer’s leave.
Employees get 2 days unpaid carer’s leave each time an immediate family member or household member of the employee needs care and support because of:
- illness
- injury or
- an unexpected emergency.
Full-time and part-time employees can only get unpaid carer’s leave if they don’t have any paid sick / carer’s leave left.
Find out who is an immediate family or household member on the Sick and carer’s leave page.
Taking unpaid carer’s leave
Unpaid carer’s leave can be taken:
- in 1 continuous period (eg. 2 working days in a row) or
- in separate periods as agreed between the employee and employer (eg. 4 half days could be taken in a row).
An employer can’t take negative action against an employee for taking unpaid carer’s leave. To find out more, see Protections at work.
Source reference: Fair Work Act 2009 s.102 
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