Without consultation and contrary to the conditions contained in workers’ current agreements, in December 2023 staff in South Australia were told by management that all paid sick leave applications (even a single day of absence) would only be approved with a GP medical certificate for the entirety of December 2023 and January 2024.

The introduction of this requirement to get paid sick leave applications approved is not only in breach of workers’ Enterprise Agreements but is a blanket rule that imposes unreasonable expectations on workers when they are sick!

Union members are calling on DHS Executive Director Joe Young, to scrap this requirement for all future Festive periods!