Policy last updated
15 June 2020
Scope
- Schools
On this page:
Overview
Overview
As part of the department’s duty of care principals or managers need to ensure they act sensitively towards employees whose circumstances require them to be absent from the school or workplace as a result of bushfire, flood or other severe weather event. Employees are affected in many ways either directly or indirectly, including through the loss of family or friends or through the loss or damage to their homes and property.
Leave with pay is available where an employee is prevented from attending their school or workplace because of bushfire, flood or other severe weather event as set out in the Policy and Guidelines.
Related policies
- Bushfire and Grassfire Preparedness
- Emergency and Critical Incident Management Planning
- Emergency Services Leave
- Employee Assistance Program
- Leave Without Pay — Teaching Service
- Personal Leave — Teaching Service
- Reporting and Managing School Incidents (including emergencies)
- Responding to emergencies and natural disasters in schools and early childhood
Relevant legislation
- Delegations
- Industrial Agreements
- Industrial Awards
- Legislation — Employment Topics
- Ministerial Orders — Employment
Contact information
Policy and Guidelines
Pre-emptive closure — Catastrophic
Schools and children's services (including kindergartens and child care centres) determined by the department to be at high risk of fire danger have been placed on the department’s Bushfire At-Risk . Schools and children’s services that have been identified as being at high fire risk will be closed on a day declared Catastrophic.
An employee whose school or workplace is closed due to high risk of fire will be granted leave with pay for that day unless the regional director determines it is appropriate for that employee to attend an alternate workplace on that day.
Where the school or workplace is open, employees are expected to report for duty at their usual place of work in the normal manner. However, where an employee is unable to attend for duty for reasons including:
- road closures on a day declared Catastrophic that may prevent an employee from attending for duty at their usual workplace
- enactment of an employee’s bushfire survival plan which may include evacuation of the employee’s family
- providing care for their child(ren) whose school, other children’s service or school bus route is closed and for whom no alternative care arrangements could be made
the employee may be granted leave with pay where the principal (for school-based employees) or regional director (for principals and employees in non-school locations) is satisfied that the absence was necessary and unavoidable on that day.
Bushfire, flood or other severe weather event
An employee whose school or workplace is closed due to bushfire, flood or other severe weather event will be granted leave with pay for up to 5 days unless the regional director determines it is appropriate for that employee to attend an alternate workplace.
Where the school or workplace is open, employees are expected to report for duty at their usual place of work in the normal manner. However, where an employee is unable to attend for duty for reasons including:
- protection of their property
- road closures
- providing care for their child(ren) whose school, other children’s service or school bus route is closed and for whom no alternative care arrangements could be made
- evacuation of their family as a result of the bushfire, flood or other severe weather event
the employee may be granted leave with pay where the principal (for school-based employees) or regional director (for principals and employees in non-school locations) is satisfied that the absence was necessary and unavoidable on that day.
General
An employee who is prevented from attending their school or workplace because of bushfire, flood or other severe weather event in circumstances not covered by this policy may be eligible for leave with pay under this policy. Such an application will be considered on its merits having regard to the reasons the employee is unable to attend for duty.
Resources
Reviewed 11 March 2020