Paid Pandemic Leave: Essential

Victoria is the second state to have a hardship fund for those diagnosed with coronavirus or told to self-isolate without sick leave. Premier Daniel Andrews announced the hardship fund would apply to those diagnosed with the virus, or those told to self-isolate because of close contact with someone who has been diagnosed. “This is about making sure there’s no financial reason for these people not to isolate and to go to work themselves,” Premier Andrews said. There will be access to a $1,500 payment if a person does not have access to paid sick leave through their employer.

Currently there is a campaign where Australian Unions are calling on the Morrison Government to provide paid pandemic leave Australia wide. They are requesting a full rate of pay for everyone who needs testing or must be in quarantine, no matter how many times it might happen. “Pandemic leave is essential to beating the virus. If people are forced to come to work when they are sick we will continue to see new waves of workplace infection,” ACTU Assistant Secretary Liam O’Brien said on Sunday.

ACTU President Michele O’Neil has said she will tell the Senate Inquiry into COVID-19 that the Government was slow to act in introducing a wage subsidy and has failed to expand the system to those who are excluded or extend it beyond September despite underspending by $60 billion earlier in the pandemic.

Ms O’Neil said “calls to expand and extend JobKeeper, provide pandemic leave, close loopholes in the OHS system and provide support for women and young people who have fallen on deaf ears. We have seen two of the biggest states introduce a form of paid support for workers without paid leave entitlements to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and to encourage testing and isolation yet the Morrison Government refuses to help the more than three million Australian’s at risk of falling ill and potentially spreading the virus without access to sick leave.”

To show your support for paid pandemic leave you can sign a petition by the ACTU here.