24Leave because of COVID-19

24 Leave because of COVID-19

(1)  In this regulation –

COVID-19 means the disease within the meaning of the COVID-19 Disease Emergency (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2020 ;

personal leave entitlement, in relation to a relevant employee, means an entitlement of the relevant employee to leave –

(a) due to personal illness or injury of the relevant employee; or

(b) for the purpose of providing care or support to a relative of the relevant employee or a member of the relevant employee’s household;

relevant employee means –

(a) an employee within the meaning of the Act; and

(b) a person who is currently employed in an Agency and whose employment in the Agency is fixed-term casual, sessional, seasonal or relief in nature; and

(c) a person appointed as an officer under section 31 of the Act; and

(d) a person in respect of whom an arrangement under section 46(1) of the Act is in force.

(2)  The relevant Head of Agency may, subject to any Employment Direction, grant to a relevant employee special leave of absence with pay if –

(a) the relevant employee has exhausted the employee’s personal leave entitlements and –

(i) has contracted COVID-19; or

(ii) is required to provide care or support to a relative of the relevant employee, or a member of the relevant employee’s household, who has contracted COVID-19; or

(iii) has experienced side effects, following vaccination for COVID-19, consisting of COVID-19 symptoms; or

(iv) is required to provide care or support to a relative of the relevant employee, or a member of the relevant employee’s household, who has experienced side effects, following vaccination for COVID-19, consisting of COVID-19 symptoms; or