Sick Leave - May 2021 (PDF version)

Recently, the PSA sent out a bulletin to all members with information on sick leave. Click HERE to see the bulletin.

It has now come to the attention of PSA and the POVB Executive that management in centres and locations are reviewing our members’ sick leave.

We do not believe that Managers are interpreting Corrective Services NSW Sick Leave Policy correctly. Press HERE to see the sick leave policy.

Under Part 7 of the Policy, titled “Further non-compliance” it says:

Where an employee’s sick leave record or pattern of total absenteeism is not compliant or is unsatisfactory after notification and/or discussion, this may become a disciplinary matter. It is, therefore, important that a counselling interview is held with the employee to discuss the behaviour and its consequences.

The explanation of “unsatisfactory is “contained in the footnote on page 9, saying:

Best practice organisations consider 10 days in 12 months an appropriate review point.

We are being informed that members are having their sick leave reviewed despite having fewer than 10 days and less than five unsupported days. 

Corrective Services NSW policy states our sick leave is in a calendar year. However, any conduct and service checks will be 12 months from the date of the check.

For these reasons, the PSA and POVB Executive do not believe that members should be counselled formally until they have exceeded 10 days supported or five days unsupported in this calendar year.

If you are approached by management to see them regarding your sick leave and you are under the above amount of sick leave, we ask you do the following:

• Ask for a breakdown of your leave for the calendar year.
• If you are under the above days, then decline the meeting until you seek guidance from a POVB Executive delegate.

All members should take a support person to any sick leave meeting, as permitted in 7.1 of the Sick Leave Policy. If a meeting goes ahead, we will attempt to get a delegate to the meeting or instruct your local delegates what to do when acting as a support person for you. If the location is physically impossible to get to by the time of the meeting, we can ask for a phone hook-up to support you.

Contact details

Nicole Jess
Chairperson 0427 609 199

Jason Charlton
Vice Chairperson 0401 500 976

Natalie Howes
Secretary 0407 011 441

Mark Hutchinson
Assistant Secretary 0410 031 963

Darren King
Country Vice Chair 0407 935 039

Joshua Hamade
Country Vice Chair 0456 249 991

Clinton Lamb
Vice Chair Overseer 0400 709 144

David McCauley
POVB Industrial Officer 0419 022 767

David Bartle
POVB Industrial Officer 0418 425 976

Trish O’Brien
Welfare Officer 0412 120 391