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Under the FW Act, employees (other than casual employees) affected by a natural disaster or emergency may have an entitlement to take paid sick/carer's leave. An employee can take accrued paid sick/carer's leave if they are unfit for work due to an illness or injury or if they need to provide care or support to an immediate family or household member due to illness, injury or in the event of an unexpected emergency. Employers should also consider their obligations under any award, enterprise agreement, employment contract or workplace policy, which could include extra rules about sick and carer's leave. www.fairwork.gov.au Whether an employee can take sick or carer's leave when affected by natural disasters or emergencies depends on the circumstances. For example, if an employee is injured during a flood or bushfire they may be entitled to paid sick leave. An employee may also be entitled to take sick/carer's leave to care for their child if for example their child's childcare closed temporarily due to a natural disaster or another unexpected emergency.