The Victorian government will provide sick leave to casual workers in a trial program in an effort to tackle insecure work in response to Melbourne’s second wave.
Victoria’s Workplace Safety Inister Ingrid Stitt said the trial program would mean casual workers would no longer have to choose between taking a day off when they are sick or being able to pay the rent.
“The risks around insecure work cannot be ignored any longer – so we’re putting our hand up when no other government has, to improve the health, safety and economic security of these vital workers,” she said.
“It is unacceptable that any worker should have to choose between feeding their family and keeping their workmates and community safe. This scheme will remove that terrible choice for our most vulnerable workers.”
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The Secure Work Pilot Scheme will provide up to five days total of sick or carer’s pay at the national minimum wage for casual or insecure workers in priority industries.
The two-year pilot program kicks off next year and will allow for people who are unwell to stay at home, thus reducing the spread of illness in the workplace which costs the Victorian economy billions of dollars in lost productivity each year.
The first to benefit from the new program will be workers in occupations with high levels of insecurity, such as private sector aged care staff, cleaners, hospitality staff, security guards and supermarket workers.
The Government is calling for submissions from workers and the community to help shape the scheme.
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Ms Stitt said that during the pandemic, Victoria’s Government has offered more than $141 million in payments to vulnerable workers without access to sick leave, so they could get tested and isolate. Workers who did not have sick leave also had access to a $1,500 federal government grant during the height of the second wave.
