Workplace Entitlements
Sum of all sick and carer's leave taken during your employment with this firm.
Estimated Balance
152.0 hrs
Approx. 20.0 working days
You have a significant accrual of carer's leave! This acts as an excellent 'insurance policy' for long-term family care needs or significant health crises. You have an estimated 152.0 hrs (20.0 days) available to use.
Based on NES 10-day minimum. Awards may vary.
Carer’s leave is a vital workplace entitlement in Australia that allows employees to take time off to provide care or support to a member of their immediate family or household who requires it because of a personal illness, injury, or an unexpected emergency. Under the National Employment Standards (NES), carer's leave and personal (sick) leave are technically part of the same 'personal/carer’s leave' entitlement. Full-time employees are entitled to 10 days of paid personal/carer’s leave for each year of service, while part-time employees receive a pro-rata amount based on their hours worked. In the Australian community, carer's leave is essential for maintaining a healthy work-life balance, particularly for the 'sandwich generation' who may be caring for both young children and aging parents. It provides financial security by ensuring that your income doesn't stop just because a family member has an emergency. While the leave is paid for permanent employees, casual employees are entitled to two days of *unpaid* carer’s leave per occasion. Understanding your balance and how it accrues is key to managing your family commitments without jeopardizing your professional standing or financial stability.
The calculation of carer’s leave entitlements follows the accrual rules set out in the Fair Work Act. The core formula is: (Weekly Hours / 5) x 10 days x Years of Service. For a standard 38-hour full-time week, this results in 76 hours (10 days) of leave per year. Part-time employees accrue leave progressively throughout the year based on their ordinary hours of work. For example, someone working 19 hours per week (0.5 FTE) would accrue 5 days (38 hours) of leave per year. Crucially, personal/carer's leave in Australia accumulates from year to year. If you don't use your 10 days this year, they roll over into the next, creating a 'buffer' for future needs. However, unlike annual leave, personal/carer's leave is NOT paid out when your employment ends. Our estimator calculates your total historical accrual based on your years of service and then subtracts any hours you have already used to provide your current estimated balance. It's important to remember that employers can ask for evidence, such as a medical certificate or a statutory declaration, to confirm that the leave was taken for a genuine caring purpose as defined by the NES.
Under Australian law, 'immediate family' is specifically defined. It includes a spouse or de facto partner, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, or sibling of the employee. It also includes the same relatives of the employee's spouse or de facto partner. Knowing who qualifies is important, as taking carer's leave for a distant relative or a friend might not be legally protected unless your specific Enterprise Agreement (EA) or contract explicitly allows for broader 'compassionate' coverage.
Even if you have exhausted your paid personal/carer's leave balance, you still have a legal right to take up to two days of *unpaid* carer's leave per occasion. This is a crucial safety net for Australians facing extended family crises. Your employer cannot unreasonably refuse this leave, and you are protected from adverse action for exercising this workplace right under the Fair Work Act.
Carer's leave doesn't just 'appear' on your work anniversary. In Australia, it accrues progressively. This means that after six months of work, you have already 'earned' 5 days of leave. If you started a new job last month, you already have a small balance available to use if your child gets sick. Always check your payslip, as most modern Australian payroll systems show this live, growing balance.
Many Australian workplaces, especially in the public sector, healthcare, and education, have Enterprise Agreements (EAs) that provide *more* than the 10-day NES minimum. Some offer 12 or 15 days of personal/carer's leave per year. Always check your specific agreement first, as your actual entitlement might be significantly higher than the standard legal baseline.
When you take carer's leave, save a digital copy of any medical certificates or school closure notices. Australian employers are entitled to ask for evidence for every single day of carer's leave if they choose. Having an organized folder of these documents ensures that if your leave balance is ever audited or questioned, you can prove your compliance with the 'evidence notice' requirements of the Fair Work Act.
Carer's leave isn't just for illness. If your child's school closes unexpectedly due to a power outage or a burst pipe, that qualifies as an 'unexpected emergency.' You can use your paid carer's leave balance for these hours. However, planned events like a routine parent-teacher interview or a school play do not qualify; you should use annual leave or flex-time for those instead.
Ben, a full-time analyst with 4 years of service, had only ever used two sick days. When his father required major surgery and two weeks of post-operative care at home, Ben had an accrued balance of over 300 hours (nearly 8 weeks). He was able to take the full two weeks as paid carer's leave, providing essential support to his father without losing a single cent of his $110,000 salary.
Sarah works 3 days (22.8 hours) per week. She used the estimator to find that after 2 years, her total accrual was 120 hours. After subtracting the 30 hours she used when her daughter had the flu, she realized she still had 90 hours of leave left. This gave her the confidence to tell her boss she needed a week off when her daycare was hit by a COVID-19 closure, knowing she was fully covered.
Jason started a new role only three months ago. His partner was involved in a car accident and needed him at the hospital for two days. Jason checked his accrual and saw he had already earned about 19 hours of leave. He used his 15.2 hours (2 days) of paid leave immediately. Jason's case shows that carer's leave starts working for you from your very first day on the job.
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