In our last round of negotiating with the government, HACSU members were able to win a slew of new leave entitlements. It’s important to know exactly what these entitlements are and how you can access them:
Primary caregiver leave
Primary caregivers now have access to 18 weeks of paid primary caregiver leave if they have been a permanent employee of the THS for at least 12 months.
Grandparent leave
Employees who have worked for the THS for at least 12 months will be entitled to take 18 weeks of paid grandparent leave at the time of birth or adoption of a grandchild for whom they will be the primary caregiver.
Aboriginal cultural leave
Eligible Aboriginal employees of the THS are entitled to up to 5 days of paid leave per personal leave a year to engage in Aboriginal cultural practices.
Disability leave
Eligible employees of the state service who experience a disability will be entitled to 5 paid disability leave days per year to enable them to engage in activities associated with their disability, such as attending treatment or appointments with a health practitioner.
Foster and kinship care
Employees of the THS who engage in a foster or kinship arrangement are entitled to a maximum of 10 paid leave days per personal leave year for each relevant application to provide care to a child or young person.
Gender affirmation leave
This entitlement is available to eligible employees of the THS who undergo a process of affirming their gender, giving them access to 4 weeks of paid leave and up to 38 weeks of unpaid leave. This can be used for purposes such as medical or psychological treatments and hormonal appointments.
If you are running into any issues using your new entitlements or want to know more about whether you are eligible for them – give us a call!