Pharmacy Daily | Union calls for paid pandemic leave

EMPLOYEE pharmacists' union, Professional Pharmacists Australia (PPA), is calling on the Federal Government to "step up and look at supporting paid pandemic leave".

With rising COVID-19 infection rates impacting the pharmacy workforce, PPA CEO, Jill McCabe, told Pharmacy Daily that the issue of paid pandemic leave needed to be revisited.

McCabe noted that many pharmacists have voiced concerns about how changes to the definition of a close contact will impact them, noting that under the revised meaning "they could've been working with someone who has contracted COVID and they're no longer consider a close contact".

"That's causing them anxiety," she said.

"People need to be aware that if you're not feeling well [you should] notify your employer as soon as you possibly can.

"You can't be compelled to work if you're not fit for work.

"There's a concern there that if you're not well that somehow your employer could be calling you out, saying 'well you haven't got COVID, unless you've got COVID come into work'.

"That's not what we want to see... people who are genuinely unwell should not be at work.

"They still have their normal sick leave rights... there is still access under the Awards to unpaid pandemic leave.

"That's been extended by the Fair Work Commission until Jun 2022, and that covers the Pharmacy Industry Award, so people have access to two weeks unpaid pandemic leave.

"We would like to see paid pandemic leave, because [while] unpaid leave is better than nothing, it's really important that people are economically and financially provided for during the pandemic."

McCabe said that while there are some Government-funded pandemic payments available to employees, "there are lots of caveats" limited who is eligible to receive them.

"I don't think there are any payments for workers who are not close contacts or if your business closes down," she said.

"The Government needs to step up here... we know that a number of employers in other sectors have agreed to paid pandemic leave for their workforces, so I think in the interests of equity, we need to ensure that paid pandemic leave is also looked at in other sectors."