Ask Sherryl

Dear Jane

Under the National Employment Standards you can take time off to care for an immediate family or household member who is sick or injured or help during a family emergency. Immediate family members are your spouse, de facto partner, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling or the child, parent, grandparent, grandchild or sibling of your partner or spouse.
This is known as carer’s leave. Sick and carer’s leave both come from a pool of leave which is known as personal leave. If your mother needs to go to the doctor as a result of an emergency, illness or injury you can use your personal leave accrual to take time off to take her to the doctor.
If your circumstances do not exactly fit the definition of carer’s leave, as set out above, your centre can still exercise their discretion to allow you to use your personal leave. However, it is best to ask for their permission.
If you have run out of your paid personal leave accrual or are a casual employee you can take up to two days of unpaid carer’s leave on each occasion that care may be necessary.

Sherryl