{"id":1866,"date":"2020-05-08T10:51:06","date_gmt":"2020-05-08T00:51:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/?p=1866"},"modified":"2026-02-05T20:10:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T09:10:20","slug":"unpaid-pandemic-leave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/unpaid-pandemic-leave\/","title":{"rendered":"Unpaid pandemic leave: navigating changes to 99 awards"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/category\/strategy-legal-operations\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Strategy, Legal &amp; Operations<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tUnpaid pandemic leave: navigating changes to 99 awards\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2020-05-08T10:51:06+10:00\">May 8, 2020<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"Unpaid pandemic leave: navigating changes to 99 awards\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/unpaid-pandemic-leave\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/author\/lukethomas\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/06\/Luke-Thomas.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Luke Thomas<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Leave entitlements are changing for 99 awards in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Whether you&#8217;re an employer or a payroll professional, it&#8217;s important you understand these changes and operate within the new rules over the coming months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-the-fair-work-act-was-amended\">Why the Fair Work Act was amended<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>The Fair Work Act was amended to ensure workers who contract COVID-19, or have been exposed to a confirmed case, are provided with enough leave to self-isolate. Amendments allow the introduction of unpaid pandemic leave and annual leave at half pay. These provisions give all workers \u2014 whether full-time, part-time or casuals \u2014 the right to take time off as directed by government guidelines while keeping their employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">eBook: The Impact of Wage Underpayments in Australia<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span class=\"TextRun BCX0 SCXW166631159\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun BCX0 SCXW166631159\">The number of Australian organisations found <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun BCX0 SCXW166631159\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun BCX0 SCXW166631159\">underpay<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun BCX0 SCXW166631159\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun BCX0 SCXW166631159\">ing staff has\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun BCX0 SCXW166631159\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun BCX0 SCXW166631159\">grown dramatically in recent years.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Download this ebook to discover:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\">The role annualised salary errors play in cases of wage underpayment<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\">What went wrong in Australia&#8217;s 2 biggest cases of wage underpayment<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\">The 4<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\">\u00a0main factors contributing to <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\">the rise in\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\">underpayment<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\">\u00a0cases<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\">6 tips to help <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\">prevent\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\">underpayments<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\"> in your business<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-51425026-c896-4fd7-b474-caf5801b7955\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download eBook<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-934870386-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-934870386-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-unpaid-pandemic-leave\">Unpaid pandemic leave<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Employees of an affected award can take up to two weeks&#8217; unpaid pandemic leave if they&#8217;re required to self-isolate by authorities or on medical advice, or if government measures prevent them from working. The latter could apply, for instance, to employees whose work involves activities or venues that are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.business.gov.au\/Risk-management\/Emergency-management\/Coronavirus-information-and-support-for-business\/Restrictions-on-non-essential-services\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">currently prohibited<\/a> due to social distancing measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike paid personal leave and annual leave, unpaid pandemic leave is available immediately. This means employees won&#8217;t have to accrue leave over time, nor would they need to utilise other leave entitlements first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What&#8217;s more, the full two weeks is provided to all employees irrespective of whether they work part-time, full-time on a casual basis. Unpaid pandemic leave won&#8217;t affect other leave entitlements and counts as service under the Modern Awards and the National Employment Standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unpaid pandemic leave must start before 30 June 2020, but can end after this date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-employer-and-employee-responsibilities\">Employer and employee responsibilities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s worth noting that employees are responsible for letting their employer know, as soon as possible, that they&#8217;re taking unpaid pandemic leave and explain their reason for doing so. They should be clear about how long they expect to be away from their duties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An employer cannot respond by taking an adverse action or by dismissing an employee. However, the employer has the right to ask the employee for evidence to substantiate their need to take time off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-when-unpaid-pandemic-leave-won-t-be-available\">When unpaid pandemic leave won&#8217;t be available<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As unpaid pandemic leave is designed to assist in situations where a worker has to perform his or her duties on the employer&#8217;s premises, if the work can be performed elsewhere \u2014 like at home \u2014 then the worker cannot receive this type of leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, unpaid pandemic leave is a one-off entitlement. This means an employee is only eligible for this leave once even if they&#8217;re required to self-isolate multiple times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-annual-leave-at-half-pay\">Annual leave at half pay<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Another measure that came into effect allows employees to take annual leave at half pay, which enables them to double their time off work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if an employee takes four weeks&#8217; of annual leave over eight weeks, then their pay over the eight-week period would be the same as their pay over a four-week period. However, only four weeks would be deducted from their annual leave balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can find <a href=\"https:\/\/coronavirus.fairwork.gov.au\/coronavirus-and-australian-workplace-laws\/changes-to-workplace-laws-during-coronavirus\/unpaid-pandemic-leave-annual-leave-changes-in-awards\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">another example<\/a> of how this might work in practice on the Fair Work website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But bear in mind the employer must agree with the arrangement. On top of this, the agreement must be recorded in writing and be kept by the employer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like unpaid pandemic leave, annual leave at half pay must commence before 30 June 2020 but can finish after that date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finally, workplace regulations are changing to provide employers and employees more flexibility during the COVID-19 crisis. It&#8217;s crucial to check for updates regularly so you can stay compliant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">eBook: The Impact of Wage Underpayments in Australia<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span class=\"TextRun BCX0 SCXW166631159\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun BCX0 SCXW166631159\">The number of Australian organisations found <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun BCX0 SCXW166631159\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun BCX0 SCXW166631159\">underpay<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun BCX0 SCXW166631159\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun BCX0 SCXW166631159\">ing staff has\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun BCX0 SCXW166631159\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun BCX0 SCXW166631159\">grown dramatically in recent years.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Download this ebook to discover:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\">The role annualised salary errors play in cases of wage underpayment<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\">What went wrong in Australia&#8217;s 2 biggest cases of wage underpayment<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\">The 4<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\">\u00a0main factors contributing to <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\">the rise in\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\">underpayment<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\">\u00a0cases<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\">6 tips to help <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\">prevent\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\">underpayments<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" xml:lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW25045086 BCX0\"> in your business<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-51425026-c896-4fd7-b474-caf5801b7955\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download eBook<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-934870386-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-934870386-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Whether you&#8217;re an employer or a payroll professional, it&#8217;s important you understand the rules around unpaid pandemic leave and annual leave at half pay.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":845,"featured_media":1898,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[83,75],"tags":[256,181,236,234],"business_type":[10,9],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[103,99],"imagine_tag":[255,65,40,24,39,44],"coauthors":[277],"class_list":["post-1866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-compliance","category-strategy-legal-operations","tag-business-continuity","tag-payroll","tag-payroll-compliance","tag-workplace-flexibility","business_type-small-business","business_type-medium-sized-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-au","author_name":"Luke Thomas","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/Afianza-03_ES_BB_2018_33554-1.jpg","imagine_tags":{"255":"Business continuity","65":"HR and Payroll","40":"Mid-sized business","24":"Payroll software","39":"Small business","44":"Support"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice Australia","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/845"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1866"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1866\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/1898"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1866"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=1866"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=1866"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=1866"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=1866"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=1866"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-au\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=1866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}