COVID-19 support for workers
This page outlines guidance and advice for workers affected by COVID-19.
COVID-19 and work
NSW Health strongly recommends people who are sick or have tested positive to COVID-19 stay home until their symptoms have gone.
Read the advice for people who test positive to COVID-19 and immediately notify your employer.
Employers must follow a risk management approach to keep other workers safe from COVID-19 and read the advice for businesses with a worker who tests positive.
Aged care worker leave payment
The Aged care worker leave payment came into effect on 1 April 2023. It provides support to aged care workers who can't earn an income because they have tested positive for COVID-19.
This program replaced the High-Risk Setting Pandemic Payment (HRSPP) scheme, which ended on 31 March 2023. You can still claim the HRSPP if the first day you couldn’t work was on or before 31 March 2023.
How the payments work
An individual aged care worker cannot apply directly for the payments. You must discuss it with your employer.
If you work for more than one provider, you must nominate one of the employers to receive the payment from.
How much are the payments?
If you test positive and:
- you lose at least 8 hours but less than 20 hours of work per week, you may be eligible for a payment of $450
- you lose more than 20 hours of work per week, you may be eligible for a payment of up to $750.
How to claim
Aged care providers can apply through GrantConnect from 1 July 2023.
As part of the application, you must submit evidence showing:
- you have paid the worker for leave because of COVID-19 illness
- the worker had exhausted all other leave options.
For more information, visit Aged care worker COVID-19 leave payment grants.
If you caught COVID-19 at work
Talk to your employer as soon as possible if you have COVID-19 and you think you caught it at work. You may be able to claim workers compensation.
In most cases, you’ll need to prove that your work activities were the main contributing factor in getting COVID-19.
To make a claim, you’ll need:
- a certificate of capacity from your doctor to prove your diagnosis
- information from your employer and doctor that shows your job was the main contributing factor in catching COVID-19.
For more information on making a claim see icare Coronavirus information.
The State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) also has guidance on making workers compensation claims.