Sick Leave in Australia: What You're Actually Entitled To
Confused about sick leave in Australia? Learn how much you get, how it accrues, what casuals are entitled to, and whether it is paid out.
By Timothy Hirou GaschereauPublished 9 min read
You wake up feeling terrible: head pounding, throat like sandpaper, and the idea of a morning standup genuinely offensive. You reach for your phone to call in sick, and then it hits you: how many sick days do you actually have?
Most Australians have a rough idea that sick leave exists, but the details get fuzzy fast. How much do you get? Does it roll over? What if you are casual? Can your boss demand a medical certificate for a single day? The rules are actually clear once you know where to look. This guide walks through it in plain English. It is general information only, not legal advice.
🎯 The essential: “Sick leave” is officially paid personal/carer's leave: one bucket that covers both your own illness AND caring for family. Full-time employees get 10 days a year (pro-rata for part-time), it accrues progressively and rolls over with no cap. Casuals get none paid (they get a loading), but everyone gets 2 days unpaid carer's leave per occasion. It is paid at your base rate, and it is NOT paid out when you leave.
What 'sick leave' actually is
The term “sick leave” is not the official legal name. Under the National Employment Standards (NES), the entitlement is paid personal/carer's leave, and it covers two situations from the same balance:
- Your own illness or injury: when you are unwell or dealing with a personal health matter.
- Caring for someone else: when an immediate family or household member is sick, injured, or facing an unexpected emergency.
Most people still call it sick leave day to day, and that is fine. Just know your carer's days and sick days come from the same bucket.
How much you get and how it accrues
- Full-time employees get 10 days of paid personal/carer's leave per year (the NES minimum; employers can offer more).
- Part-time employees get a pro-rata amount based on their ordinary hours.
- Leave accrues progressively through the year based on hours worked, from your first day, not as a lump sum on day one.
- Unused leave carries over from year to year, with no cap on accumulation.
Because it rolls over uncapped, a healthy balance can build up over the years, which is genuinely valuable if you ever face a longer illness. Only used 4 days this year? The other 6 carry over and stack on next year's accrual.
Casuals: no paid sick leave, but a safety net
To be direct: casual employees do not get paid personal/carer's leave. The trade-off is the casual loading (typically 25%) on top of the base rate, meant to compensate for the lack of paid leave. But there is a safety net for everyone: all employees, including casuals, get 2 days of unpaid carer's leave per occasion to care for a sick or injured family or household member. Two unpaid days is a real gap, so casuals should check whether their award or agreement offers more.
Evidence and how sick leave is paid
Your employer can ask for reasonable evidence that the leave is genuine, such as a medical certificate or a statutory declaration. What counts as “reasonable” depends on your workplace policy, award or agreement: for a single day some employers ask for nothing; for longer absences a medical certificate is standard.
Paid personal/carer's leave is paid at your base rate of pay for the ordinary hours you would have worked. It does not usually include overtime, penalty rates or allowances, so a sick day that falls on a Saturday is paid at your base rate, not the weekend penalty rate. Notify your employer as soon as reasonably possible, usually before your shift starts.
What sick leave is NOT, and related leave types
One surprise for many people: unused paid personal/carer's leave is not paid out when you leave a job. Unlike annual leave, which is generally paid out, your sick leave balance simply disappears when your employment ends. Accumulated 30 days and handed in your notice? Those days are gone.
Two related leaves not to confuse with sick leave:
- Compassionate / bereavement leave: 2 days per occasion when a family or household member dies or has a life-threatening illness. Paid for permanent employees, unpaid for casuals.
- Paid family and domestic violence leave: 10 days per year, available to all employees including casuals. A separate entitlement, not from your personal/carer's balance.
| Entitlement | Permanent (full or part-time) | Casual |
|---|---|---|
| Paid personal/carer's leave | Yes (10 days/yr FT, pro-rata PT) | No |
| Unpaid carer's leave | Yes (2 days per occasion) | Yes (2 days per occasion) |
| Casual loading | No | Yes (typically 25%) |
| Paid out when you leave | No | Not applicable |
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❓ Frequently asked questions
How many sick days do you get in Australia?
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Full-time employees get a minimum of 10 days of paid personal/carer's leave per year under the NES. Part-time employees get a pro-rata amount based on their ordinary hours. Casual employees do not receive paid sick leave, but they do get 2 days of unpaid carer's leave per occasion.
Is sick leave and carer's leave the same thing?
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Yes. In Australia they come from the same leave balance. The official entitlement is 'paid personal/carer's leave', covering both your own illness or injury and the need to care for a sick or injured family or household member. You draw from one combined pool, not two.
Do casual workers get sick leave in Australia?
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No. Casual workers do not get paid personal/carer's leave; they receive a casual loading instead (typically 25%). However, all employees including casuals are entitled to 2 days of unpaid carer's leave per occasion. Some awards or agreements may provide more, so check yours.
Does sick leave carry over each year?
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Yes. Unused paid personal/carer's leave carries over from year to year with no cap on accumulation. Use 3 of your 10 days one year, and the remaining 7 roll over on top of what you accrue next year.
Do I get paid out unused sick leave when I leave a job?
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No. Unlike annual leave, which is generally paid out on termination, your sick leave balance is not paid out when you resign, are made redundant, or your employment ends. It does not transfer to a new employer either.
Can my employer ask for a medical certificate?
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Yes. Your employer can request reasonable evidence that your leave is genuine, such as a medical certificate or a statutory declaration. What counts as reasonable depends on your workplace policy, award or enterprise agreement, so check those first.
Keep reading
📚 Recommended reading
The Barefoot Investor
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The Barefoot Investor
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Australia's best-selling money book ever. A simple system for accounts, budgeting, debt and a real emergency fund in one.
Making Money Made Simple
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Making Money Made Simple
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Australia's classic, comprehensive money guide covering tax, super and investing, updated for today.
Some links above are affiliate links. If you buy through them, Snowball Invest may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend books we'd suggest anyway.
Sources
This article is general information only, not legal or financial advice. Leave entitlements can vary with your award, enterprise agreement or contract. Always check the Fair Work Ombudsman for the rules that apply to your situation.
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General information only. This article is educational and does not constitute personal financial advice. It does not account for your circumstances. Consider your own situation and seek advice from a licensed adviser before acting. Read our full disclaimer.
Timothy Hirou Gaschereau
Founder of Snowball Invest, not a financial adviser.
I write about what I'm learning myself, because nobody ever taught us how to take control of our own money. It's a skill, not a mystery, and it's never too late to learn it. The best day to start was yesterday, the second best is today.
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