Sick pay scheme benefits us all

-OPINION

BY MICHAELA SETTLE

MEMBER FOR BUNINYONG

MY first job was a clerk in a bank. It was a good job.

I didn’t get paid a lot but if I got sick, I still got paid and each year I earned a few weeks off, basic parts of the deal between working people and their bosses.

My son is now working in a casual job on minimum wage. When he asked for a day off, his shifts dried up. With so many people now working as casuals, the balance of obligations on worker and employer is lopsided.

Casual work and the gig economy have seen employer’s responsibility for superannuation, sick pay, and annual leave shift to working people.

COVID shone a terrible light on the impact of that shift, as people had to choose between a day’s pay and their health.

Some said, “You should have saved your casual wage for these events”, but the truth is that people were battling to pay their bills and they just had to work.

In the past, if you were on casual wages, you probably worked in hospitality but that isn’t the case anymore.

This shift of responsibility to workers has crept into critical industries like aged-care and security.  And we’ve seen the consequences.

The Victorian Government is trialling a sick pay guarantee for casual workers in some industries, and we will all benefit.

By supporting working people, we are protecting ourselves. I don’t want residents in aged care to be exposed to illness and I certainly don’t want aged care workers put in the terrible position of choosing between looking after themselves and their families or protecting the elderly.

The previous Federal Government was missing in action when it came to looking out for working people and the State Government has had to step in; first with portable long service leave and now, the casual workers sick pay trial.

It’s time we rebalance the scales of workplace obligation.

If you commit to your boss that you will put in a good day’s work when asked, then they should commit to having your back if you fall sick.