Thousands of casual workers in childcare, tourism and other industries are eligible for up to 38 hours of taxpayer-funded sick and carer’s pay each year, under a Victorian government trial.
The state government has also extended the policy to run until March 2025 and has previously indicated that any ongoing scheme would likely be funded by an industry levy.
The trial, which was initially set to run for two years at a cost of $245.6 million, has already been open to roughly 150,000 workers across industries including hospitality, retail, aged care, cleaning and security.
According to the government, more than 76,000 casual, contract and self-employed workers have signed up since its launch in March last year.
In a statement, Employment Minister Ben Carroll said the scheme had covered more than 1.8 million hours of sick and carer’s pay during that time.
Under the changes, the scheme will now be available to more industries including community support workers, taxi and rideshare drivers, arts workers, childcare and early childhood workers, fitness instructors, tourism and outdoor recreation workers, factory workers, fruit pickers and hairdressers.
