SICK PAY GUARANTEED FOR THOUSANDS MORE CASUAL WORKERS

The Andrews Labor Government is helping more casual and contract workers access sick and carer’s pay, increasing the number of jobs covered by the Victorian Sick Pay Guarantee and extending the pilot until March 2025.

More than 400 new jobs are now eligible for the nation-leading Sick Pay Guarantee – giving thousands more workers in casual and contract jobs the opportunity to access up to 38 hours a year of sick and carer’s pay.

Casual, contract and self-employed workers including community support workers, taxi and rideshare drivers, arts workers, childcare and early childhood workers, fitness instructors,tourism and outdoor recreation workers, factory workers, fruit pickers and hairdressers can check their eligibility and sign up to the scheme today.

Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas encouraged local workers to apply for the scheme.

Newly eligible workers can apply for sick and carer’s pay from the day they sign up, and workers who were eligible in the first phase of the pilot will benefit from an additional year of the pilot.

The $245.7 million Australian-first initiative aims to reduce workplace illnesses and injuries and keep businesses safer and more productive.

Since the pilot launched in March 2022, more than 76,000 casual and contract workers havesigned up. In that time, the Sick Pay Guarantee has covered more than 1.8 million hours of sick and carer’s pay, giving workers the financial security to stay home when they’re sick orneed to care for loved ones. Workers can check their eligibility and sign up online at vic.gov.au/sickpayguarantee or in the Service Victoria app. Neighbourhood Houses can alsohelp people to sign up and access the scheme – visit www.nhvic.org.au to find a participating Neighbourhood House.

Information is available in 19 languages on the Sick Pay Guarantee website. To speak to an interpreter, call the Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450 and ask for the Victorian Sick Pay Guarantee hotline.

Quotes attributable to Member for Macedon, Mary-Anne Thomas

“People shouldn’t be forced to choose between going to work sick or putting food on the table– we’re proud to be expanding the Sick Pay Guarantee, because we know how important it is to support locals in Macedon."