PR718141
FAIR WORK COMMISSION

DETERMINATION



Fair Work Act 2009

s.157—FWC may vary etc. modern awards if necessary to achieve modern awards objective

Additional measures during the COVID-19 pandemic
(AM2020/12)

JUSTICE ROSS, PRESIDENT
VICE PRESIDENT HATCHER
VICE PRESIDENT CATANZARITI
DEPUTY PRESIDENT ASBURY
DEPUTY PRESIDENT CLANCY
COMMISSIONER SPENCER

MELBOURNE, 8 APRIL 2020

Schedule X—Additional measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A. Further to the decision [[2020] FWCFB 1837] issued by the Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission on 8 April 2020, the awards listed in Appendix A are varied as follows:

1. By inserting Schedule X as follows:

Schedule X—Additional Measures During the Covid-19 Pandemic

X.1 Subject to clauses X.2.1(d) and X.2.2(c), Schedule X operates from 8 April 2020 until 30 June 2020. The period of operation can be extended on application.

X.2 During the operation of Schedule X, the following provisions apply:

X.2.1 Unpaid pandemic leave

(a) Subject to clauses X.2.1(b), (c) and (d), any employee is entitled to take up to 2 weeks’ unpaid leave if the employee is required by government or medical authorities or on the advice of a medical practitioner to self-isolate and is consequently prevented from working, or is otherwise prevented from working by measures taken by government or medical authorities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

(b) The employee must give their employer notice of the taking of leave under clause X.2.1(a) and of the reason the employee requires the leave, as soon as practicable (which may be a time after the leave has started).

(c) An employee who has given their employer notice of taking leave under clause X.2.1(a) must, if required by the employer, give the employer evidence that would satisfy a reasonable person that the leave is taken for a reason given in clause X.2.1(a).

(d) A period of leave under clause X.2.1(a) must start before 30 June 2020, but may end after that date.

(e) Leave taken under clause X.2.1(a) does not affect any other paid or unpaid leave entitlement of the employee and counts as service for the purposes of entitlements under this award and the NES.

NOTE: The employer and employee may agree that the employee may take more than 2 weeks’ unpaid pandemic leave.

X.2.2 Annual leave at half pay

(a) Instead of an employee taking paid annual leave on full pay, the employee and their employer may agree to the employee taking twice as much leave on half pay.

(b) Any agreement to take twice as much annual leave at half pay must be recorded in writing and retained as an employee record.

(c) A period of leave under clause X.2.2(a) must start before 30 June 2020, but may end after that date.

EXAMPLE: Instead of an employee taking one week’s annual leave on full pay, the employee and their employer may agree to the employee taking 2 weeks’ annual leave on half pay. In this example:

  the employee’s pay for the 2 weeks’ leave is the same as the pay the employee would have been entitled to for one week’s leave on full pay (where one week’s full pay includes leave loading under the Annual Leave clause of this award); and

  one week of leave is deducted from the employee’s annual leave accrual.

NOTE 1: A employee covered by this award who is entitled to the benefit of clause X.2.1 or X.2.2 has a workplace right under section 341(1)(a) of the Act.

NOTE 2: Under section 340(1) of the Act, an employer must not take adverse action against an employee because the employee has a workplace right, has or has not exercised a workplace right, or proposes or does not propose to exercise a workplace right, or to prevent the employee exercising a workplace right. Under section 342(1) of the Act, an employer takes adverse action against an employee if the employer dismisses the employee, injures the employee in his or her employment, alters the position of the employee to the employee’s prejudice, or discriminates between the employee and other employees of the employer.

NOTE 3: Under section 343(1) of the Act, a person must not organise or take, or threaten to organise or take, action against another person with intent to coerce the person to exercise or not exercise, or propose to exercise or not exercise, a workplace right, or to exercise or propose to exercise a workplace right in a particular way.

2. By updating the table of contents and cross-references accordingly.

B. This determination comes into operation on 8 April 2020. In accordance with s.165(3) of the Fair Work Act 2009 this determination does not take effect in relation to a particular employee until the start of the employee’s first full pay period that starts on or after 8 April 2020.

PRESIDENT

Printed by authority of the Commonwealth Government Printer

Appendix A—Awards to be varied for unpaid pandemic leave and annual leave at half pay

Award title

Award ID

Schedule to be varied

Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services Award 2010

MA000115

Schedule X

Aged Care Award 2010

MA000018

Schedule X

Air Pilots Award 2010

MA000046

Schedule X

Aircraft Cabin Crew Award 2010

MA000047

Schedule X

Airline Operations-Ground Staff Award 2010

MA000048

Schedule X

Airport Employees Award 2010

MA000049

Schedule X

Alpine Resorts Award 2010

MA000092

Schedule X

Aluminium Industry Award 2020

MA000060

Schedule X

Ambulance and Patient Transport Industry Award 2020

MA000098

Schedule X

Animal Care and Veterinary Services Award 2020

MA000118

Schedule X

Aquaculture Industry Award 2020

MA000114

Schedule X

Architects Award 2010

MA000079

Schedule X

Asphalt Industry Award 2010

MA000054

Schedule X

Banking, Finance and Insurance Award 2020

MA000019

Schedule X

Business Equipment Award 2010

MA000021

Schedule X

Car Parking Award 2020

MA000095

Schedule X

Cement, Lime and Quarrying Award 2020

MA000055

Schedule X

Cemetery Industry Award 2020

MA000070

Schedule X

Children’s Services Award 2010

MA000120

Schedule X

Cleaning Services Award 2010

MA000022

Schedule X

Commercial Sales Award 2010

MA000083

Schedule X

Concrete Products Award 2010

MA000056

Schedule X

Contract Call Centres Award 2010

MA000023

Schedule X

Corrections and Detention (Private Sector) Award 2020

MA000110

Schedule X

Cotton Ginning Award 2020

MA000024

Schedule X

Dry Cleaning and Laundry Industry Award 2010

MA000096

Schedule X

Educational Services (Post-Secondary Education) Award 2010

MA000075

Schedule X

Educational Services (Schools) General Staff Award 2010

MA000076

Schedule X

Fast Food Industry Award 2010

MA000003

Schedule X

Fitness Industry Award 2010

MA000094

Schedule X

Food, Beverage and Tobacco Manufacturing Award 2010

MA000073

Schedule X

Funeral Industry Award 2010

MA000105

Schedule X

Gardening and Landscaping Services Award 2020

MA000101

Schedule X

General Retail Industry Award 2010

MA000004

Schedule X

Graphic Arts, Printing and Publishing Award 2010

MA000026

Schedule X

Hair and Beauty Industry Award 2010

MA000005

Schedule X

Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2010

MA000027

Schedule X

Higher Education Industry-Academic Staff-Award 2010

MA000006

Schedule X

Higher Education Industry-General Staff-Award 2010

MA000007

Schedule X

Horse and Greyhound Training Award 2010

MA000008

Schedule X

Horticulture Award 2010

MA000028

Schedule X

Journalists Published Media Award 2010

MA000067

Schedule X

Labour Market Assistance Industry Award 2010

MA000099

Schedule X

Legal Services Award 2020

MA000116

Schedule X

Live Performance Award 2010

MA000081

Schedule X

Local Government Industry Award 2010

MA000112

Schedule X

Mannequins and Models Award 2010

MA000117

Schedule X

Manufacturing and Associated Industries and Occupations Award 2010

MA000010

Schedule X

Marine Tourism and Charter Vessels Award 2010

MA000093

Schedule X

Market and Social Research Award 2020

MA000030

Schedule X

Meat Industry Award 2010

MA000059

Schedule X

Medical Practitioners Award 2020

MA000031

Schedule X

Miscellaneous Award 2010

MA000104

Schedule X

Nursery Award 2020

MA000033

Schedule X

Nurses Award 2010

MA000034

Schedule X

Passenger Vehicle Transportation Award 2010

MA000063

Schedule X

Pastoral Award 2010

MA000035

Schedule X

Pest Control Industry Award 2010

MA000097

Schedule X

Pharmaceutical Industry Award 2010

MA000069

Schedule X

Pharmacy Industry Award 2010

MA000012

Schedule X

Poultry Processing Award 2010

MA000074

Schedule X

Premixed Concrete Award 2020

MA000057

Schedule X

Professional Diving Industry (Recreational) Award 2010

MA000109

Schedule X

Professional Employees Award 2010

MA000065

Schedule X

Racing Clubs Events Award 2010

MA000013

Schedule X

Racing Industry Ground Maintenance Award 2020

MA000014

Schedule X

Rail Industry Award 2010

MA000015

Schedule X

Real Estate Industry Award 2020

MA000106

Schedule X

Registered and Licensed Clubs Award 2010

MA000058

Schedule X

Road Transport (Long Distance Operations) Award 2010

MA000039

Schedule X

Road Transport and Distribution Award 2010

MA000038

Schedule X

Salt Industry Award 2010

MA000107

Schedule X

Seafood Processing Award 2020

MA000068

Schedule X

Security Services Industry Award 2010

MA000016

Schedule X

Silviculture Award 2020

MA000040

Schedule X

Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010

MA000100

Schedule X

Sporting Organisations Award 2020

MA000082

Schedule X

State Government Agencies Award 2020

MA000121

Schedule X

Storage Services and Wholesale Award 2010

MA000084

Schedule X

Sugar Industry Award 2010

MA000087

Schedule X

Supported Employment Services Award 2010

MA000103

Schedule X

Surveying Award 2020

MA000066

Schedule X

Telecommunications Services Award 2010

MA000041

Schedule X

Textile, Clothing, Footwear and Associated Industries Award 2010

MA000017

Schedule X

Timber Industry Award 2010

MA000071

Schedule X

Transport (Cash in Transit) Award 2010

MA000042

Schedule X

Travelling Shows Award 2020

MA000102

Schedule X

Vehicle Manufacturing, Repair, Services and Retail Award 2010

MA000089

Schedule X

Waste Management Award 2010

MA000043

Schedule X

Water Industry Award 2020

MA000113

Schedule X

Wine Industry Award 2010

MA000090

Schedule X

Wool Storage, Sampling and Testing Award 2010

MA000044

Schedule X