1. Program overview

1.1 Background

The Victorian Government’s Sick Pay Guarantee (the Pilot) is an Australian-first initiative. The Pilot provides Victorian casual and contract workers in eligible jobs up to 38 hours a year of sick and carer’s pay at the national minimum wage.

The Pilot is fully funded by the Victorian Government. It will run for three years from 14 March 2022 until 13 March 2025. The Pilot aims to reduce workplace illnesses and injuries and make workplaces safer and more productive.

The Pilot is for casual and contract workers in Victoria who do not have paid annual, personal, sick or carer’s leave entitlements in any job. For the complete eligibility requirements and a full list of eligible jobs, please visit the website.

With over 150,000 workers eligible within the 600+ jobs, the Department remains focussed on increasing participation in the Pilot.

1.2 Program outcomes

The Pilot focusses on jobs in industries where priority communities are overrepresented, such as people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds, women and young people.

The People and Places Grant Program (PPGP) will provide grant funding to organisations to deliver activities that increase awareness and participation of eligible workers in the Pilot in priority communities and locations (see 1.3 Priority communities and locations). The PPGP has a particular focus on supporting these workers who may not be aware of the Pilot, be facing barriers, or require additional support in accessing the Pilot.

PPGP aims to achieve the following outcomes:

  • Eligible Victorians are aware of and have equal opportunity to participate in the Pilot,
  • Support is provided to remove barriers priority communities may be facing in accessing the Pilot,
  • Pilot registrations increase among priority communities and in priority locations, and
  • Communities and organisations provide feedback on Pilot implementation and effectiveness.

1.3 Priority communities and locations

Workers in priority communities and locations often require extra support to access the Pilot for various reasons. These groups are defined below.

1.3.1 Priority communities

Organisations that can provide support to workers from one or more of the priority communities are encouraged to apply. These audiences are:

  • CALD,
  • Aboriginal Victorians,
  • LGBTQIA+ communities,
  • Veterans,
  • Young people (15-25),
  • People living with disability,
  • Older workers (55+), and
  • Women.

In further detail to the priority communities, applications that can demonstrate an ability to support the below communities will be highly regarded:

  • Recent migrants (including refugees),
  • International students,
  • Aboriginal Victorians,
  • LGBTQIA+ communities, and
  • People living with disability.

1.3.2 Priority locations

Applications will be sought to provide state-wide or location-specific support for eligible workers. Applications that can demonstrate reach in the priority locations highlighted below will be highly regarded. It is noted that priority locations listed below are specific to the Pilot.

Metropolitan Melbourne

  1. Brimbank,
  2. Casey,
  3. Frankston,
  4. Greater Dandenong,
  5. Hume,
  6. Melbourne and Inner Metro,
  7. Melton,
  8. Whittlesea, and
  9. Wyndham.

Regional Victoria

  1. Ballarat (incl. surrounding region),
  2. Geelong (incl. surrounding region to SW Victoria),
  3. Greater Bendigo (incl. surrounding region),
  4. Greater Shepparton (incl. surrounding region),
  5. Latrobe (incl. surrounding region),
  6. Mildura (incl. regional NW Victoria), and
  7. Wodonga (incl. surrounding region).

Updated

Back to top