Australian sick leave calculator

Full-time employees in Australia are entitled to 10 days of paid sick leave (personal/carer’s leave) per year. This equates to 76 hours for a standard 38-hour week, calculated using the formula:

(ordinary weekly hours x 52.18) ÷ 26.

Part-time employees receive a pro-rata amount based on their ordinary hours. Casual employees do not accrue paid sick leave.

Yes, sick leave (personal/carer’s leave) starts building from your first day of work and rolls over year after year. There is no expiry date or cap on unused leave under the same employer. However, it is not paid out upon termination of your employment. This means your unused sick leave cannot be paid out if you resign or are made redundant, unless your workplace agreement specifically permits it.

No, casual employees in Australia do not accrue paid sick leave. They receive a casual loading (typically 25%) to compensate for not having paid leave entitlements.

Casual employees, however, are entitled to 2 days of unpaid carer’s leave per occasion when an immediate family member requires care due to illness or emergency.

When you take sick leave, you are paid at your normal base rate for your usual working hours, excluding overtime, allowances, bonuses, or penalty rates.

To calculate your total annual sick pay entitlement, multiply your base hourly rate by your annual sick leave entitlement in hours (e.g., 38 hours/week worker: $35hr x 76 hrs + $2,660 per year in sick pay value).

An employer cannot reject a valid sick leave if you have an available balance and have provided the required notice and evidence. However, they can choose not to pay for the absence if you fail to provide evidence when requested or if you do not follow the workplace’s notification rules.

You cannot be compelled to work if you are genuinely unwell, and the Fair Work Act protects employees who need temporary leave due to illness.

No. Weekends do not count as sick days unless you were meant to work on those days. Sick leave only applies to your ordinary working hours. For example, if you fall sick on a Friday afternoon and recover by Monday, only Friday (or the portion of Friday you missed) would be counted as sick leave.

Yes. mental health conditions, including stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, or panic attacks, are treated the same as physical illness under the National Employment Standards. You can use your paid sick leave for mental health days. However, your employer may request evidence of your condition if you take time off for mental health reasons. A certificate from a GP, psychologist, or other registered health professional confirming you were unfit for work is sufficient.

There is no set limit on how many times you can use your sick leave, as long as your leave is genuine and supported by evidence when requested. However, frequent absences can raise concerns, and if your employer is convinced your sick leave is being misused, they may request medical certification for every absence.

Generally, routine check-ups and planned medical appointments are not covered by sick leave, as it is intended for illness or injury. In practice, however, some employers are flexible and allow employees to use sick leave for medical appointments. Check your workplace policy or agreement.

A personal leave calculator is the same as a sick leave calculator. In Australia, sick leave is officially called “personal/carer’s leave” under the National Employment Standards.

There are several generic leave calculators. Here is what makes ours different.

• Our sick leave calculator is built on the current Fair Work law.
• Our calculator works for every employment type
• No sign-up, no cost, no catch. 
• Australian medical professionals back our calculator

When you’re feeling unwell, the last thing you need is more stress. Use the calculator above to check your sick leave balance, understand your rights, and sort your medical certificate in minutes if needed. 

Yes, you continue to accrue sick leave (personal/carer’s leave) while you are taking paid annual leave. Under the National Employment Standards (NES), any period of paid leave counts as continuous service, meaning your sick leave balance will keep growing while you are on holiday.

If you fall ill or sustain an injury while on paid annual leave, you can use your sick leave instead. You will need to notify your employer and provide a medical certificate. Your employer must then re-credit your annual leave balance for the days you were sick and deduct them from your sick leave balance instead.

No, sick leave does not accrue while you are taking unpaid leave, including unpaid parental leave, unpaid sick leave, or government-funded Paid Parental Leave (PPL). Accrual pauses during these periods and resumes as soon as you return to paid work.

Your employer cannot force you to take unpaid leave if you are sick and still have a positive paid sick leave balance. However, if your paid sick leave runs out and you remain unfit for work, you will transition to unpaid sick leave.

Yes, a certificate issued by a registered pharmacist is generally accepted as valid medical evidence for minor ailments (such as a cold, flu, or gastroenteritis) under the Fair Work Act. However, for serious conditions or extended absences, employers usually require a certificate from a registered medical practitioner (like an online doctor or GP).

Part-time workers receive a pro-rata amount of the 10 days full-time workers get, based entirely on the hours they work. For example, if you work exactly half the hours of a full-time employee (19 hours per week), you will accrue 38 hours of sick leave per year, which equates to 5 of your normal working days.

Generally, you cannot use sick leave for purely elective or cosmetic procedures. Sick leave is strictly for when you are unfit for work due to a personal illness or injury. However, if a cosmetic procedure is deemed medically necessary by a doctor, or if you suffer unexpected medical complications following an elective surgery that render you unfit for work, sick leave may apply.

There is no difference in the balance. Under the NES, “personal/carer’s leave” comes out of the exact same pool of hours. You can use your 10 days (76 hours) either for your own illness (personal leave) or to care for an immediate family or household member who is sick or facing an unexpected emergency (carer’s leave).

Need a medical certificate? 

Don’t sit in a crowded waiting room when you’re unwell. If your employer is asking for evidence, Hola Health provides valid medical certificates from Australian doctors online in minutes. Available 24/7. Request a medical certificate now.