Following queries from members, the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation Tasmanian Branch (ANMF) contacted the Tasmanian Health Service (THS) regarding your entitlements should you be required to go into isolation.

The ANMF is pleased to advise members that:

• Casual staff with rostered regular hours or planned casual shifts will be paid for those rostered hours/shifts during isolation including penalty rates and usual allowances
• Casual staff without planned or projected shifts will be paid an average of their earnings based on the previous financial year or the average of the sum total of their employment if this is under 12 months. The declaration of the Pandemic was 17 March 2020
• Any fixed-term contracts due to expire during the pandemic will automatically be renewed. The THS has advised the ANMF that members should contact Human Resources with any queries regarding this.
• Part-time and full-time staff will be paid for their rostered shifts including penalty rates and usual allowances.
• All staff required to isolate whilst awaiting test results will be paid special leave. This is not deducted from your personal leave balances.

The ANMF has been advised by the THS that members will not be financially disadvantaged by having to self-isolate and if staff have any concerns or queries, they should contact Human Resources.

If you do become unwell, you will be required to use your personal leave entitlements however, if you test positive to COVID-19 you should claim workers’ compensation. If you have no leave available, you will have access to (up to) 20 days of special leave (this also applies if you have caring responsibilities because of the COVID-19 pandemic).