Public servants given extra leave to fight bushfires nickbonyhady
The federal government has ordered public service heads to give their staff extra time off to fight bushfires as it moves to address calls to do more to support exhausted volunteer firefighters.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Commonwealth public servants who volunteer with state rural fire services would get four weeks of paid leave to work on the front lines on top of their regular annual and sick leave arrangements. Scott Morrison has asked public service heads to offer 20 days of paid leave to government employees fighting bushfires."We're helping get more boots on the ground and giving people who've been out there for weeks some relief," Mr Morrison said.
The Prime Minister said he had spoken to firefighters as he toured South Australia's fire fields who were "tired, really tired" and said the extra leave for government employees was designed to give those on the front lines some respite."With bushfire seasons starting earlier, one of the things I've heard on the ground is that some people are dipping into their other leave entitlements to stay out there battling blazes," Mr Morrison said.
The additional leave allowance will bring federal public servants volunteer firefighters' arrangements into line with those offered to Australian Defence Force reservists."We know this does not address the situation for self-employed and small businesses directly, but it does mean those working for larger organisations can step in and take some of the load from those volunteers who work for themselves or small businesses," Mr Morrison said.
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