Stand down
Floods may affect whether some workplaces can stay open.
If a business can’t open or needs to temporarily close, employers may be able to stand down an employee in some circumstances. This includes when an employee can’t do useful work because of:
- equipment breakdown if the employer isn’t responsible for it, or
- stoppage of work for which the employer can’t be held responsible, including severe and inclement weather or natural disasters (such as floods).
During a stand down period, an employee:
- doesn’t need to be paid
- accrues leave in the usual way.
Some awards, agreements and employment contracts have extra rules about when an employer can stand down an employee without pay.
Taking paid or unpaid leave
There are paid and unpaid leave entitlements employees can access if they’re affected by the floods. They can also take leave to assist with emergency management activities.
Leave options include:
- annual leave
- sick and carer’s leave
- community service leave
- Defence Reservists.
Minimum entitlements to annual leave, sick and carer’s leave and community service leave come from the National Employment Standards (NES). Awards and registered agreements can’t offer less than the minimums in the NES but they can provide more.
Accessing flexible working arrangements
Some employers and employees may wish to negotiate ways to make their workplace more flexible to help navigate the challenges of the floods. For example, employers and employees can discuss changing:
- what hours they work
- what days they work
- where they perform their work.
