Unpaid pandemic leave entitlements extended in many awards

The Fair Work Commission has extended the entitlement to unpaid pandemic leave under Schedule X in many awards. Leave taken under Schedule X now needs to start by 30 June 2022.

Annual leave flexibility provisions haven’t been extended and will end on 31 December 2021.

What is Schedule X?

Schedule X is a temporary schedule in some awards. It gives eligible employees:

• 2 weeks of unpaid pandemic leave
• the ability to take twice as much annual leave at half their normal pay if their employer agrees (if the leave starts before 31 December 2021).

The Schedule was added into the awards on 8 April 2020.

Which awards are affected?

The extension applies to 74 awards, including the Mobile Crane Award.

Unpaid pandemic leave in the Mobile Crane Award starts from 1 January 2022 and ends on 30 June 2022.