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Employer responses to COVID-19

The spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) will have a major impact for employers with employees returning from affected areas/countries.

MEA would like to stress the importance of taking actual medical advice from health professionals and following relevant Government directives as they relate to your workers.

Testing for the virus is available and where an employer considers that there may be a reasonable risk of infection or exposure to the virus employees can be directed to attend for these tests. Employers will need to bear the associated cost and payment for working time in most cases.

Potential scenarios that employers may encounter includes:

  • Worker is returning from an affected area but has not been quarantined
    Where a medical practitioner has declared that the worker is unfit for work because they are either infected or a high risk of transmitting the virus the worker can access relevant sick leave, annual leave or leave without pay until such time that they cleared.
  • Worker is returning from an affected area and has been quarantined
    That the worker is considered unfit for work because they are either infected or a high risk of transmitting the virus the worker can access relevant sick leave, annual leave or leave without pay until such time that they cleared.
  • Worker is returning from an affected area and has been given a ‘low’ level risk of transmission
    If the company takes the view that this low risk is still unacceptable, and they direct the worker not to work then the employer will need to pay for this time. This payment does NOT come out of any leave balance.If the worker has a role that can be performed remotely, at least in part, this should be also be considered.
  • School is closed – parental responsibility
    In the event a school is closed, employees will be able to access the carer’s leave component of their personal leave to look after children.  In the event this leave is fully utilised then annual leave and RDO’s and LWOP can be used for the balance of the 14 days.  By default, this employee will self-isolate with children and as such there should be no further infection of the workplace.Working from home options may be explored where appropriate.
  • A whole worksite, town or area has been declared a ‘no go zone’
    While a seemingly extreme response it is still possible and has already occurred in some places around the world.This would be a stoppage of work for any cause for which the employer cannot reasonably be held responsible and fits the criteria for workers to be stood down under section 524 of the Fair Work Act. Workers would not be required to be paid in this case but could access their annual leave or RDOs in this time.

For further questions, please contact the Workplace Relations Team on 1300 889 198.

For more information, head to article ‘Managing Coronavirus COVID-19 WHS’ here.