Will I get paid for a sick day when waiting for COVID test results?

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says: “I would ask all employers to understand that granting sick pay for a day or two off while people await test results is a lot [better than] that person coming to work and potentially shutting your enterprise down.

“I don’t want that to be read as a criticism of all employers, the overwhelming majority of businesses know that we get no economic recovery until we deal with the health challenge and that is the sequence we have to work in.

“The overwhelming majority of employers are doing the right thing, and we’re grateful for that, but sick leave is there for a reason, and if you are an employer you don’t want people in your business who have got symptoms and got tested, and may well have it. 

“That is not conducive to your good name, your business’ profits and staying open.”

If you are unable to work because of COVID-19, there are five things you need to know:

• you must not go to work if you have to self-isolate
• you may be able to work from home if you are self-isolating or caring for someone who is sick
• you may be paid while you are self-isolating or caring for someone else
• whether you can work from home or be paid depends on your particular situation

if you are not sure about your rights, you can get legal advice. See Get help with COVID-19.