Recreation leave only continues to accrue for the first 45 weeks. The amount of hours an employee is working is irrelevant.
Leave accrues as if the employee were totally incapacitated, even if the employee is working close to full time hours. It does not accrue on a proportional basis.
Note, this does not include someone who is working full time hours, but is being paid 'top up' compensation (section 19 (3) (f) refers).
Recreation leave cannot be accessed while the employee is totally absent on compensation leave.
However, if the employee is on a graduated return to work, he or she may access leave, but only for those periods when he or she is working. Permission for such leave must sought from the employer (see part 4 of this volume). Leave will be debited according to the amount of hours actually used.
Leave during a RTWP or GRTW will generally not be permitted by the Case Manager. Compensation payments will continue as if the employee were still working.
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Example |
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An employee is working 5 hours per day on long term reduced hours. |
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She takes recreation leave for 4 weeks, but it is taken for 5 hours per day only - and only at the discretion of the Case Manager. |
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The employee has a balance of 110 hours recreation leave. As this leave is taken at 5 hours per day for the 4 week period (or 100 hours), the new balance will be 10 hours leave. |