This Unpaid Leave Policy can be used to help protect your Company by ensuring that employees are aware of their obligation to request leave, even where this is unpaid leave. This Policy can also be used to help support employees who need to take time off for personal reasons and who may not be entitled to another form of leave.

Use this Policy if:

• You want to help your employees feel comfortable raising a request for unpaid leave, while giving you the right to decline where this is not compatible with business needs;
• You need to ensure that employees are aware that all requests for leave need to be approved, and leave cannot be taken without authorisation; and
• You want to provide guidance to management staff on how to approach requests for unpaid leave by staff.

What does this Policy cover?

• The process for unpaid leave requests by employees;
• Key factors that are considered by the Company when an unpaid leave request is received;
• A clarification that leave needs to be authorised to be taken; and
• The right of the Company to decline a request for unpaid leave.

Further information:

• Can employees be made to take leave in the Christmas period?
• What types of paid leave are full-time employees entitled to?
• Do casual employees have leave entitlements?
• Leave Policy
• Employee Handbook