Q: We have an employee who has been taking the occasional day off for personal/carer’s leave because one of her children has been sick. She works full-time and her husband is the primary care-giver and stay-at-home dad.

I understand personal/carer’s leave can be taken only by the primary carer. Are there other circumstances where this may be okay?

A: The Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) does not require the employee to be the primary carer to be eligible for carer’s leave. Carer’s leave may be taken to provide care or support to an immediate family member of the employee who requires support due to an injury or illness.

Please note: The answer is correct at the time of publishing. Be aware that laws may change over time. Refer to Personal/carer’s leave for current advice.