Sick leave calculator: understand hours, balances and evidence

A sick-leave calculator can help you understand the arithmetic behind personal/carer's leave. It cannot confirm your employer's records, decide whether you are unfit for work or guarantee paid leave. Use it to prepare questions for payroll and check the rules that apply to your employment arrangement. Fair Work guidance on paid personal/carer’s leave Fair Work guidance on notice and medical evidence

This guide focuses on the National Employment Standards framework described by the Fair Work Ombudsman. Some employees have different or more generous arrangements, and not every Australian worker is covered by the same system. If you are unsure which rules apply, establish that first rather than relying on a general online estimate.

What is personal/carer's leave?

Paid personal/carer's leave covers eligible absences when you cannot work because of personal illness or injury, or need to care for an immediate family or household member in qualifying circumstances. Sick leave and carer's leave come from the same paid entitlement. They are not automatically two separate yearly balances. Fair Work guidance on paid personal/carer’s leave

The leave reason and the leave balance are different things. You may have an eligible reason but need to check whether paid hours are available. You may have hours available but still need to provide notice and reasonable evidence. The calculator addresses the hours; it does not decide the other requirements.

Who receives paid leave under this framework?

Fair Work explains that full-time and part-time employees receive paid personal/carer's leave under the National Employment Standards, while casual employees do not have the same paid entitlement. Casual employees may have unpaid carer's leave rights. Different entitlements should not be collapsed into a single figure called “sick days”. Fair Work sick and carer’s leave guidance Fair Work guidance on paid personal/carer’s leave

If you are a contractor, self-employed or covered by another employment system, do not assume this calculation applies. Your employment status and governing arrangements need to be understood first. A payslip, contract or discussion with payroll can help you identify the right starting point for more specific advice.

How the annual entitlement is expressed

Fair Work describes the entitlement as 10 days per year for full-time employees and a proportionate amount for part-time employees. It explains that the calculation is based on ordinary working hours and can be expressed as one twenty-sixth of ordinary hours over a year. Fair Work guidance on paid personal/carer’s leave

For a stable weekly work pattern over 52 weeks, that is equivalent to twice the ordinary weekly hours. Someone working 30 ordinary hours per week would therefore have a simple full-year accrual estimate of 60 hours under this model. This is an arithmetic example, not a determination of that individual's entitlement.

Why hours can be clearer than days

The length of a workday varies. A person may work fewer long shifts or more short shifts across the week. Fair Work explains that the spread of ordinary hours does not change the amount accrued where the total ordinary hours are the same. An hours-based comparison avoids assuming that every “day” means the same duration. Fair Work guidance on paid personal/carer’s leave

For example, suppose two employees each work 30 ordinary hours per week, one across five shifts and one across three. The basic annual accrual calculation is the same. However, the hours associated with a particular missed shift differ. Ask payroll how the absence is recorded against your actual roster.

A simple accrual example

For a stable pattern, start with ordinary weekly hours, multiply by the eligible weeks in the period and divide by 26. An illustrative employee working 30 ordinary hours across 13 eligible weeks would accrue approximately 15 hours: 30 multiplied by 13, divided by 26.

This simplified method assumes the selected weeks are eligible for accrual and the working pattern stays constant. It does not automatically account for changes in hours, a partial week, complex unpaid leave periods or a more generous agreement. If any of those apply, use the detailed records and seek advice about the appropriate calculation. Fair Work guidance on paid personal/carer’s leave

Accrual is not the same as your current balance

Your current balance can include unused leave carried forward from earlier periods, new accrual and deductions for leave already taken. Fair Work explains that unused paid personal/carer's leave carries over from year to year. A tool that only estimates this year's accrual cannot tell you the whole balance. Fair Work guidance on paid personal/carer’s leave

For a worked balance example, start with 20 carried-forward hours, add 15 accrued hours and subtract 6 hours already used. The arithmetic gives 29 hours. But if the opening balance or deduction is wrong, the result is wrong too. Compare the inputs with payroll records rather than treating the calculated answer as independent evidence.

What if my work hours changed?

Separate the periods with different ordinary hours and ask payroll how accrual was recorded for each. Do not apply your current weekly hours to an entire year if your work pattern was different for part of it. A single average may conceal details that matter to the actual record.

Keep the dates of any contract changes, roster changes or periods away from work. Those details are more useful than a screenshot of an unexplained total. For irregular patterns or uncertainty about ordinary hours, Fair Work's own leave resources and your applicable award or agreement provide a better starting point than a simple static calculator. Fair Work guidance on paid personal/carer’s leave

Does leave keep accruing while I am away?

It depends on the kind of leave. Fair Work lists circumstances in which personal/carer's leave continues to accrue, including paid annual leave and paid sick leave, and circumstances in which it generally does not, including unpaid sick or carer's leave. The correct treatment must be applied to the period being calculated. Fair Work guidance on paid personal/carer’s leave

This is one reason a field labelled “weeks employed” can be misleading if the tool assumes every week accrued leave. For a general estimate, identify eligible accrual time. If you do not know which periods qualify, ask payroll rather than guessing and then presenting the result as a confirmed entitlement.

How much can I take at once?

Fair Work states that an employee can take as much paid sick or carer's leave as they have accumulated, with no minimum or maximum amount that must be taken at a time. The relevant reason, notice and evidence requirements still apply. Having a balance does not mean every absence qualifies as personal/carer's leave. Fair Work guidance on paid personal/carer’s leave

If your planned absence extends beyond your available balance, talk with your employer about the applicable arrangements. Do not assume the calculator can authorise another type of leave or determine what must be paid. For extended absences or a dispute, seek advice based on your exact circumstances.

When might I need a medical certificate?

An employer can ask for reasonable evidence for one day or less. Fair Work identifies medical certificates and statutory declarations as examples, and says the evidence must reasonably establish the employee's entitlement to the leave. An award or registered agreement may address evidence requirements. Fair Work guidance on notice and medical evidence

There is therefore no universal rule that a certificate is needed only after a particular number of days. Check the applicable requirements, notify your employer as soon as possible and explain the expected duration. A leave calculator cannot determine whether a doctor will support a certificate for the period you request.

What is the doctor's role?

A doctor assesses the clinical circumstances and decides what they can support. They do not set your payroll balance or resolve the employment-law question of what your employer owes. When requesting a certificate, explain your symptoms or caring situation, the dates and how the issue affects your work.

If your employer has a particular document requirement, show it to the clinician. Keep the request accurate and distinguish your own illness from caring for someone else. For the assessment process, read medical certificates online; for evidence questions, read online certificate validity.

A practical checklist before contacting payroll

Gather your employment status, ordinary weekly hours, relevant dates, opening leave balance and leave already taken. Note any changes in hours and any unpaid periods. Identify the award or agreement if you know it, but do not guess which one applies just to complete a calculator field.

Then ask a specific question: “Can you explain how this balance was calculated for this period?” This is easier to resolve than saying only that a website produced a different total. Keep your own calculation clearly labelled as an estimate, with the assumptions visible alongside it.

A practical checklist before requesting a certificate

Notify your employer, check the evidence requirement and gather the dates of the absence. Think about what the doctor needs to understand clinically, including your usual duties and any relevant medical history. If the issue is caring responsibilities, explain who needs care and why your support is needed.

Doccio lists one-day certificate requests at $19 and two-day requests at $29. Requests requiring doctor care use the applicable consultation price. Assessment determines whether a certificate can be issued. Check current service pricing before starting. Doccio’s published service pricing