As of Friday, October 14, mandatory isolation requirements for people diagnosed with COVID-19 will end across Australia. In Victoria, they ended overnight on Wednesday.
Federal government payments for most casual and contract workers who come down with COVID-19 are also ending.
By definition, casual workers don’t get sick pay.
The federal government has confirmed that now the only casuals in future who will get payments of between $750 to $450 to not go to work for a week while sick with COVID-19 are those in key healthcare settings.
Victorian retail worker, Ioannis Tsiavos, told ABC News that the end of COVID subsidies puts “casual workers in a really tough spot.”
“It’s between doing what we know is morally right and what is good for the community and not spreading infectious disease or actually being able to live and to pay rent,” Ioannis added.
Fortunately for Ioannis, Victoria has had a pilot program in place since March that offers casual and contract workers five days’ sick pay at the national minimum wage.
Ioannis said this gives him “some reassurance that I’m not going to be completely sidelined.”
Source: ABC News.
