Critical incident leave
You can take 2 days critical incident leave for every 5 continuous days you work doing community recovery. This is to help you recuperate. Critical incident leave is limited to 4 days in a continuous work cycle.
Critical Incident Leave is provided in accordance with the Special Leave Directive 5/17.
- The 2-day break is automatically factored into your deployment period
- The day you travel home at the conclusion of your deployment is not part of your Critical Incident Leave, regardless of the time you arrive at your home residence.
- The break includes weekends and public holidays.
- You cannot hold Critical Incident Leave days over for use at a later date.
- Each agency is responsible for establishing formal leave arrangements within their own department.
- Check with your agency key coordinator for instructions on how to apply for Critical Incident Leave.
Critical Incident Leave taken in the disaster area
Usually, you will return home at the end of your 5 day deployment. However, sometimes you might be deployed for a back-to-back rotation, by prior arrangement.
Where this is the case, it is important that you take your 2 days Critical Incident Leave in a location that allows you to rest and provides access to social and productive activities. If you stay in the disaster area, even though you’re not working, you are still exposed to the disaster.
If you don’t return home for leave, you’re entitled to claim allowances for meals and incidentals.
Examples of Critical Incident Leave
- You travel to your Community Recovery work location on Monday, work for 5 continuous days from Tuesday to Saturday, and then travel home on Sunday
You take Monday and Tuesday off as your 2 days Critical Incident Leave. You need to complete a Critical Incident Leave application for these 2 days when you return to your normal job on Wednesday. - You travel to your Community Recovery work location on Friday and work for 5 continuous days from Saturday to Wednesday, and then travel home on Thursday
You take Friday and Saturday as your 2 days to recuperate. When you return to your normal job on Monday you need to complete a Critical Incident Leave application for the Friday. - You are locally based and do not need to travel far to or from home. You work in Community Recovery for 5 days from Monday to Friday
Saturday and Sunday are your 2 days to recuperate from deployment. You do not need to complete a leave application unless Saturday and Sunday are your normal work days. You return to work in your normal job on Monday. - You work in your normal job from Monday to Friday and are asked to work in the local Community Recovery operation on Saturday
Because you have not undertaken 5 continuous days working in Community Recovery you are not eligible for Critical Incident Leave. - You are deployed from Cairns to the South West Queensland district and are immediately deployed for a second rotation (back-to-back)
As it is not practical to return to Cairns, you agree with the deployment coordinator at the time of your initial discussion the preferred location for your Critical Incident Leave.
Other leave
If any other leave is taken while you are on Community Recovery deployment, e.g. sick leave, you should apply for this leave when you return home using your normal home agency leave processes.