Sick Pay Guarantee FAQs

Sick and carer’s pay for casual and contract workers

Sign up today, before you get sick. You must be signed up before you can claim sick and carer’s pay.

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1. What is the Sick Pay Guarantee?

The Victorian Sick Pay Guarantee is an Australian-first initiative giving Victorian casual and contract workers in certain jobs up to 38 hours a year of sick and carer’s pay. Payments are made at the national minimum wage.

The Sick Pay Guarantee is a three-year pilot program. It will run from 14 March 2022 until 13 March 2025.

For more information see the Sick Pay Guarantee Program Guidelines.

2. Which jobs are included?

Jobs included in the Sick Pay Guarantee pilot are:

  • Food, hospitality and accommodation
  • Retail, sales and supermarkets
  • Factories, manufacturing and supermarket supply chains
  • Administration, clerical and call centres
  • Cleaning and laundry
  • Beauty, fitness, tourism and outdoor recreation
  • Taxi, rideshare and delivery driving
  • Security
  • Carers, aides, health and welfare support
  • Farm, agriculture, forestry, gardening and animal care
  • Arts and creative industries.

For the full list of eligible jobs, see How to sign up - eligible jobs.

You can check your eligibility and sign up through Service Victoria.

The Sick Pay Guarantee pilot focuses on the industries with some of the highest rates of casual and contract workers who do not have access to sick pay, whose work hours are often unpredictable and low paid, and people who are more likely to experience hardship, such as people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, women and young people.

A consultation process with workers, unions, business and industry groups was undertaken in 2021 to inform the design of the Sick Pay Guarantee. For more information see the Public Consultation Summary Report.

3. How do I sign up for the Sick Pay Guarantee?

You can sign up through Service Victoria. You must sign up before you can start making claims.

Don’t wait until you get sick – sign up now. Learn more about how to sign up.

4. How do I claim sick and carer’s pay?

You can make a claim for sick and carer’s pay through Service Victoria. You must sign up before you can start making claims.

Learn more about how to make a claim.

5. Can I claim sick pay if I have COVID-19?

You can’t claim both the Sick Pay Guarantee and COVID-19 support payments for the same period.

If you work in aged care or disability services and meet the eligibility requirements you should claim the aged care worker COVID-19 leave payment grant or the disability worker COVID-19 leave grant first.

6. What evidence do I need to provide when I make a claim?

When you submit a claim you must confirm that you missed work because you were sick or injured, or you were caring for someone who was sick or injured.

You may need to provide evidence to support your claim. The type of evidence will depend on your circumstances.

Learn more about evidence you may need to provide.

7. How much will I get paid?

The Sick Pay Guarantee provides casual and contract workers in certain jobs with up to 38 hours a year of sick and carer's pay.

Payments are made at the national minimum wage ($23.23 per hour as of 1 July 2023), regardless of whether you claim for a weekday, weekend or public holiday.

8. Do I have to pay the money back later?

No. This is a payment from the Victorian Government to help you take time off if you are sick or need to care for loved ones. You will not have to pay the money back.

The Sick Pay Guarantee is fully funded by the Victorian Government. There is no cost to you or your employer.

9. Do I have to report the payments in my tax return?

Sick Pay Guarantee payments are taxable if they are part of your income. Workers are encouraged to seek tax advice as it relates to your individual circumstances.

Find out more about income tax from the Australian Taxation Office.

10. Can I claim sick pay on the same day that I sign up?

You must sign up to the Sick Pay Guarantee before you can make a claim .

After we approve your application (which can take up to five business days from when you sign up), you can start making claims.

You can backdate claims up to 60 days, but no earlier than the date you signed up. For example, if you signed up on 15 May 2022, the first date you can claim sick and carer’s pay for is 15 May 2022.

Learn more about how to make a claim.

11. How many hours can I claim at a time?

You can claim for a minimum of three hours and a maximum of 12 hours per day.

You can claim all 38 hours in one application if you need to, but you must claim within 60 days of being absent from work.

Learn more about how to make a claim.

12. What is an anniversary date and how does it work?

Your anniversary date happens once a year on the date you signed up to join the Sick Pay Guarantee. For example, if you’re eligible for Sick Pay Guarantee payments and signed up on 20 March 2022, your anniversary date is 20 March 2023.

On your anniversary date, your claimable hours balance resets. Your unclaimed hours do not carry over from year to year.

The Sick Pay Guarantee is a time-limited pilot.

  • If your second-year anniversary date is on or after 14 September 2024 you will receive less than 38 hours when your balance resets.
  • The number of hours you will be able to claim will depend on your anniversary date and the time left until the end of the pilot.

To find your anniversary date and claimable hours balance, log in to your Service Victoria account.

13. What is the difference between a contract worker and a casual worker?

Contractors have different rights and obligations to casual employees. This is because they provide services to another person or business, as opposed to being employed by that person or business.

Learn more about casual and contract workers.

14. I do contract jobs, so I don’t have a roster. How can I prove that I missed work?

You can claim the Sick Pay Guarantee if you are a contract worker who meets the eligibility requirements.

Submit your claim for the number of hours you were supposed to work in your contract job. If you need to submit evidence to support your claim, you can provide:

  • a roster
  • an offer of work, or
  • a statutory declaration which includes your average hours worked.

Learn more about what you need to make a claim.

Learn more about what evidence you need to support your claim.

Find out how to calculate your average hours.

More information for contractors, sole traders and self-employed workers.

15. I'm under 18 and don't have two forms of ID. Can I still sign up?

Yes. If you’re aged over 15 and under 18 and you don’t have two forms of ID, you can sign up with one form of ID.

To continue your application in Service Victoria without a second ID document, select the button: "I don't have this" in the "Choose your ID" screen.

Learn more about ID and proof of work documents.

16. I’m not an Australian citizen or permanent resident. Can I still sign up?

Yes. If you meet the eligibility requirements, including having the right to work in Australia, you can sign up.

If you’re not an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and don’t have two forms of ID, provide the one form of ID you have.

During the online application in Service Victoria, we will ask you to provide two ID documents. In the second “Choose your ID” screen you can select “I don’t have this”.

Learn more about ID and proof of work documents.

17. How do I get help?

To get help, you can:

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