Your board must apply to the Ministry of Education if they think you qualify for disregarded sick leave.
Your sick leave won’t be deducted from your entitlement if one of the following circumstances applies to you.
- Your sickness is directly caused by your working conditions or circumstances.
- You were injured while carrying out your duties, the injury was not your fault, and you have not received any ACC payments for the injury.
- Your sick leave was due to a war injury or war service.
- You caught an epidemic disease or you had to be in isolation because of having contact with someone with a particular disease (as required by Ministry of Health regulations). In the case of hepatitis, the period of disregarded sick leave will be decided by your doctor.
- You have tuberculosis.
The maximum amount of disregarded sick leave (total of all periods) is 2 years. If you have tuberculosis and need to be treated in a specialised health facility you may be entitled to an additional 6 months of disregarded sick leave.
Disregarded sick leave is covered in clause 5.2.3 of your collective agreement.