Sick Leave in Australia: Entitlements, Accrual and How Many Days You Get

By: MediLeave Editorial Team · Reviewed by: Doron Nadler BPharm, MPS · Last reviewed 17 August 2026

Nobody enjoys firing off the "sorry, I can't make it in today" text. And when you're already feeling rotten, the last thing you need is to lie there doing sums in your head about whether the day is going to cost you. So here's the reassuring part: if you're a permanent employee in Australia, paid sick leave is something you're legally owed — not a favour from your boss. Let's walk through how many days you get, how they build up, and what happens to the ones you don't use.

How many sick days do you get in Australia?

Fair Work sick leave entitlements come from the National Employment Standards (NES) — the minimum conditions set and enforced by the Fair Work Ombudsman. Full-time employees are entitled to 10 days of paid sick leave every year. Officially it's called personal/carer's leave, and for a standard 38-hour week that works out to 76 hours annually. Part-time employees get the same entitlement on a pro-rata basis — so if you work half the hours of a full-timer, you get half the leave.

That 10-day figure is a legal minimum. Some awards, enterprise agreements or individual contracts offer more, so it's always worth checking yours.

Sick leave and carer's leave share the same bucket

One thing that surprises a lot of people: your sick leave and carer's leave come from the same pool. It's a single entitlement you can draw on for two reasons — when you're unfit for work because of your own illness or injury, or when you need to care for an immediate family or household member who's unwell or facing an unexpected emergency. There's no separate stash of carer's days; it all comes out of the same 10. If you're taking time off to look after someone, you may be asked for a carer's leave certificate as evidence.

How does sick leave accrue?

Sick leave accrues progressively across the year, based on your ordinary hours worked. You start building it from your very first day — there's no waiting period or probation to get through before it kicks in. In practice, your balance ticks up a little each pay cycle rather than landing in one lump on your work anniversary.

It's the same principle that governs your annual leave, which also builds steadily as you work. If you'd like to see how that adds up over weeks and months, our annual leave accrual calculator does the maths for you.

Do unused sick days carry over?

Yes. Any paid sick leave you don't use rolls over into the next year and keeps accumulating — there's no "use it or lose it" cap. Someone who's rarely unwell can build up a healthy balance over several years, which is reassuring if a bigger health issue ever comes up.

The trade-off: unlike annual leave, sick leave isn't paid out when you leave a job. It's a safety net while you're employed, not money in the bank. Accrued annual leave is paid out on termination, which is one more reason it's worth keeping an eye on — you can check yours with the annual leave calculator.

What about casual employees?

Casuals don't get paid sick leave. In exchange, they receive casual loading on top of their hourly rate. They are, however, entitled to 2 days of unpaid carer's leave per occasion if they need to look after someone.

Do you need a medical certificate?

Under Fair Work Ombudsman sick leave rules, employers can ask for "reasonable evidence" that your leave is genuine — most commonly a medical certificate, particularly for longer absences or days that fall around weekends and public holidays. What counts as reasonable depends on your workplace policy, but having a certificate on hand removes any doubt.

Wondering whether a certificate can cover a day you were already off? Our guide to backdated medical certificates in Australia explains where you stand.

If getting to a GP while you're unwell feels like the last thing you can manage, that's exactly what telehealth is for. MediLeave connects you with an Australian-registered doctor online, and if it's clinically appropriate you can receive a valid medical certificate for work without leaving the house — here's how to get a medical certificate online in Australia.

Can you use a statutory declaration for sick leave?

Sometimes a medical certificate simply isn't an option — perhaps you couldn't get a doctor's appointment in time, or you were only unwell for a day and didn't see anyone. In those cases, a statutory declaration for sick leave can act as an alternative form of evidence. A stat dec for sick leave is a written statement, signed in front of an authorised witness, in which you formally declare that you were unfit for work.

Whether a statutory declaration is accepted comes down to your employer's policy — some are happy to take one, while others will still want a medical certificate. It's worth checking what your workplace requires before relying on one, since a certificate generally leaves less room for argument.

This article is general information only and isn't legal advice. For your specific situation, check your award or enterprise agreement, or the Fair Work Ombudsman.