COVID-19 Special Leave – Teaching Service

Overview

Where an employee has tested positive for COVID-19 and:

• is symptomatic, for example, runny nose, sore throat, cough, fever, chills, sweats and shortness of breath, that employee can access their personal leave to cover the absence; or
• has no symptoms but is isolating consistent with the advice provided under department’s COVID-19 – School Operations Guidelines, that employee can access their personal leave to cover the isolation period. Where an employee has exhausted their paid personal leave credits, they may be granted COVID-19 special paid leave for any remaining portion of a recommended isolation period.

Contact information

Contact HR

Policy and Guidelines

Context

The department’s COVID-19 – School Operations Guidelines recommends that individuals who test positive to COVID-19 should isolate for at least 5 days or until symptoms have resolved. In relation to teaching service employees, this means that employees:

• who test positive to COVID-19 should stay home and isolate for 5 days
• should not attend after 5 days if still symptomatic
• who are symptomatic but have not tested positive should not attend school.

Entitlement

Where an employee has tested positive for COVID-19 and:

• is symptomatic, for example, runny nose, sore throat, cough, fever, chills, sweats and shortness of breath, that employee can access their personal leave to cover the absence; or
• has no symptoms but is isolating consistent with the advice provided under department’s COVID-19 – School Operations Guidelines, that employee can access their personal leave to cover the isolation period. Where an employee has exhausted their paid personal leave credits, they may be granted COVID-19 special paid leave for any remaining portion of a recommended isolation period.

To demonstrate their eligibility to access COVID-19 special leave, an employee needs to provide evidence of their positive test result in eduPay. Acceptable evidence includes:

• a picture of their positive rapid antigen test
• a copy of a text message confirming a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result
• a certificate from a registered medical practitioner confirming the employee has tested positive to COVID-19.

Resources

Application process

Employees can apply for COVID-19 special leave through eduPay.

Related policies and guidelines

For more information about COVID-19 in schools, refer to: COVID-19 - School Operations Guidelines.

For more information about personal leave, refer to: Personal Leave — Teaching Service