A. This will depend on the reason that you were sent home.
If you are sent home from work to self-isolate to avoid a risk of contaminating others, then you are serving your employer during this time, even if you are not working. Where an employer directs a full-time or part-time employee not to work, the employee would ordinarily be entitled to be paid while subject to the direction. That entitlement “to be paid’ while directed not to work, is an entitlement “to be paid’ without reduction of any leave balance.
Casual employees are not entitled to be paid. The ANMF, along with other Trade Unions, is calling on the Federal Government to provide financial support for all workers impacted by COVID-19.
If you are sent home from work to avoid social contact, then you should make arrangements to work from home (if possible). If that is not possible, then you are following a direction from your employer and as such are serving your employer during the time that you are home. As above, a full-time or part-time employee would ordinarily be entitled to be paid while subject to the direction. Casual employees are not entitled to be paid.
If you are sent home from work because you cannot be usefully employed (there is no work for you to do) because of COVID-19, then your employer may stand you down, with or without pay. If you are stood down without pay, you may be able to access accrued annual leave entitlements. Some enterprise agreements in the private acute sector permit the employer to direct an employee to take annual leave where the hospital is at low occupancy or low activity, or during periods of shutdown. If you experience the above, please contact the ANMF (SA Branch) Duty Officer on 8334 1900 to get further advice.
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