Tom Elliott shares his thoughts on the paid sick leave scheme for casual workers

Tom Elliott says the Victorian government’s paid sick leave program for casual workers flies in the face of what casual work is all about.

He says part of the reason casual workers get paid at a higher rate than their full-time colleagues in the first place is a trade off for not having those entitlements.

“The reality is, when you work as a casual, you get paid extra per hour to compensate you for not getting things like sick leave, annual leave, carers leave – that’s the deal,” the 3AW Drive host said.

“And there is a great deal of flexibility with casual work.

“As a casual, you can ring up your boss and say ‘the weather is going to be good tomorrow, I’m not coming to work’ and the boss, by the same token, can say they’re not busy and don’t need you.

“That’s the whole point of casual work – it is not being a permanent employee.

“It is insecure by its very nature.”

Press PLAY below to hear Tom’s thoughts

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