What does it mean for Government?
If you work for Government, there will be changes that will affect you at work during a pandemic. Changes will be made to protect you, and to make sure the most important services continue even if there are high numbers of people away from work.
Sick leave requirements for Tasmanian Government employees
In an effort to take the pressure off the medical community, the Tasmanian Government has expanded its requirements for staff in verifying an illness on sick leave.
If a staff member has been away for longer than two days on sick leave, the State Government requires that they verify their illness by providing either a medical certifcate provided by a certified medical professional, including nurses and pharmacists, or alternatively, obtain a Statutory Declaration signed by an authorised person.
This requirement recognises that it's not always practical - or possible - to visit a GP to obtain a medical certificate for an illness that may last a short period of time, such as influenza.
The Department of Justice provides a general Statutory Declaration form on its website.
Special Pandemic Leave
There is also provision for Special Pandemic Leave, which can be approved once personal leave options have been exhausted. For more information on Special Pandemic Leave, see the Tasmanian State Service Human Influenza Pandemic Employment Management Guidelines.
*Note: If you are having trouble accessing the documents below, right click on the link, select Save Target As and save the document to your desktop.
Brochures
- Preparing for pandemic influenza: what you can do
- Protect yourself and others from infectious diseases - Wash your hands and cover your cough
