Professional Pharmacists Australia (PPA) is taking action to ensure that pharmacists are covered should they get infected with COVID-19.
It has done this by filing an application with the Fair Work Commission to have paid pandemic leave entitlements inserted into the Pharmacy Industry Award.
This is because pharmacy employees are on the frontline of this crisis working to keep the community healthy and therefore more likely to encounter people who have COVID-19, more likely to catch COVID-19, and more likely to need to self-isolate on more than one occasion.
Entitlements called for casual and permanent staff include two weeks of paid leave per instance where a worker is required to self-isolate, or is prevented from working by government as well as credit of 20 days personal leave where a worker is infected with COVID-19.
The PPA has urged all pharmacy employees to sign its petition, which has reached nearly 597 signatures on the platform Megaphone.
The Fair Work Commission intends to hear the claim within the next month.
