Working regular hours

After you’ve been in your job for 6 months, you’re legally entitled to at least 5 days’ sick leave a year. Your employer might offer more — check your employment agreement.

Before you’ve been in your job for 6 months

Your employer can agree to let you take sick leave in advance or leave without pay.

Taking unpaid leave

Casual work and fixed-term contracts

If you’re a casual employee, or have had fixed-term contracts with the same employer but the contracts were not one after the other, you’re entitled to sick leave after 6 months if you’ve worked at least:

• 10 hours per week on average, and
• no less than 1 hour every week or 40 hours every month.

Sick leave entitlements

Contracting or working for yourself

If you’re self-employed, you do not earn any paid sick leave.