New Scheme – Paid Sick Leave for Victorian Casuals

In March 2022, the Victoria Government launched its Victorian Sick Pay Guarantee scheme. The program that will run for two years and is fully funded by the Victorian Government.

The scheme guarantees that eligible casual and contract workers will receive payment at the national minimum wage, when they need to take time off due to illness or injury, or where they are required to provide care to a direct family member or member of their household. In effect, the scheme is designed to provide personal/carers leave to employees who are otherwise not entitled to those forms of leave under the National Employment Standards, due to their casual or contractor status.

Eligible workers can access payment for up to 38 hours of work per year, with workers applying to, and receiving payment from, the Victorian Government directly.

The first phase of the scheme applies to workers in the following industries:

Job	Type of work
Hospitality workers	Providing services to patrons of hotels, bars, cafes, restaurants, casinos and similar establishments.
Food preparation assistants	Preparing food in fast food establishments, assisting food trades workers and service staff to prepare and serve food, cleaning food preparation and service areas.
Food trades workers	Baking bread and pastry goods; preparing meat for sale; planning, organising, preparing and cooking food for dining and catering establishments.
Sales support workers	Providing assistance to retailers, wholesalers and sales staff by operating cash registers, modelling, demonstrating, selecting, buying, promoting and displaying goods.
Sales assistants	Selling goods and services directly to the public on behalf of retail and wholesale establishments.
Other labourers who work in supermarket supply chains	Including workers who fill shelves and display areas in stores and supermarkets; load and unload trucks and containers; and handle goods and freight.
Aged and disability carers	Providing general household assistance, emotional support, care and companionship for aged and disabled persons in their own homes.
Cleaners and laundry workers	Cleaning vehicles, commercial, industrial and domestic premises, construction sites and industrial machines, and clothing and other items in laundries and dry-cleaning establishments.
Security officers and guards	Providing security and investigative services to organisations and individuals, excluding armoured car escorts and private investigators.

Following the two-year pilot program, the Victorian Government will review the scheme and make determinations at that time about the future of the scheme.