We offer comprehensive leave conditions that can be accessed at various stages of your time with us. Further leave entitlements and details can be viewed below or at any time via our CSIRO Enterprise Agreement.
Recreation leave
Recreation leave is available to ensure that regular breaks are taken from the workplace for rest and relaxation. Full-time staff members accrue recreation leave of up to twenty working days per annum. Part-time staff members accrue recreation leave on a pro-rata basis relative to their standard hours of duty.
Parental leave
Staff members are provided leave and conditions associated with birth, adoption, fostering (long term) or becoming a permanent legal guardian for a child.
Primary Caregivers are entitled to 18 weeks of paid parental leave and unpaid parental leave up until 24 months after the birth or placement of their child.
Secondary caregivers are currently entitled to 8 weeks* of paid parental leave and unpaid parental leave up until 24 months after the birth of their child.
*Note: The paid component of secondary caregiver will increase progressively up to 18 weeks by November 2026.
Alternatively, you can choose to take paid parental leave at half-pay for up to a maximum period of 36 weeks.
Miscellaneous leave
Miscellaneous leave is intended to provide flexibility to meet a staff member's personal circumstances. It allows greater flexibility in leave arrangements so that staff members can attend to family and personal obligations or emergencies without resorting to categories of leave intended for other purposes. Our staff members accrue miscellaneous leave at the rate of four days per year (subject to a maximum balance of 15 days and 17 days for staff in Alice Springs).
Domestic family violence and abuse leave
This leave option gives our staff members the additional support to attend to matters arising from domestic family violence and abuse that affect them personally, their household or an immediate family member. There is no set amount of leave available for this leave option as it is granted on an as needs basis. Unpaid leave is available for casual staff. Further support, access to services and flexible work arrangements are also available to staff members during times of need.
Purchased Leave
To assist staff to balance work and personal commitments, CSIRO allows staff to apply for a purchased leave arrangement. Under this arrangement, staff are able to apply to purchase additional leave of 1 to 12 weeks, subject to operational requirements.
Leave without pay
Leave without pay may also be granted for general purposes for periods of up to three years. Reasons for this leave can include for family and personal reasons, in times when taking other forms of leave is not appropriate, when paid leave credits are not available or when the absence is in the interests of the Commonwealth.
Sick and carer's leave
A staff member accrues up to 18 days paid leave per annum (pro rata) which can be taken for a personal illness or injury, or for the purposes of providing care or support to a sick or injured member of the staff member's family or household. On commencement, new staff members also receive a credit of 18 days (pro-rated based on the staff member’s initial contract period and if they are part-time), or if applicable, a credit based on recognised service with a former employer. Unpaid sick and carer's leave is also available.
Long service leave
Long service leave is available to staff members after 10 years of service. It accrues at the rate of 3/10 month for each completed year of service (excluding any periods of unpaid leave) and is pro-rated for part time staff members. At the end of 10 years, staff members can access 3 months of paid long service leave. There is also option to extend this leave duration by taking twice the amount of leave (6 months) at half of their normal rate of pay.
Voluntary emergency management activity leave
In addition to Miscellaneous leave, paid and unpaid leave is available for staff members participating in voluntary emergency response activities. This includes leave for regular training, all emergency services responses, reasonable recovery time and ceremonial duties.
Compassionate leave
All staff member's (excluding casuals) may be granted up to three days paid compassionate leave on each occasion that a member of their family, household, or someone they have/had a close personal relationship with contracts or develops an illness that poses a serious threat to their life, sustains a personal injury that poses a serious threat to their or passes away. Compassionate leave is also available in the case of a miscarriage or stillborn child. Casuals are entitled to up to 3 days' unpaid compassionate leave. We also offer a number of services to support staff and their families during this time.
Study leave
Many staff members undertake additional study while they are with us. Financial assistance with studies may be granted to team members who undertake an educational commitment, as well as the opportunity to access other benefits like study leave.
NAIDOC and ceremonial leave
We know how important it is to balance community, personal and work lives. CSIRO offers a range of flexible work arrangements for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff so individuals can thrive in the workplace. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditional kinship relationships are a recognised group within all family related leave provisions, including sick and carers leave and compassionate leave. We offer one day of paid NAIDOC leave per year, six days paid ceremonial leave over two years, and an additional 10 days paid ceremonial leave per calendar year may be granted.
Cultural Leave
We recognise the cultural diversity of our workforce and support staff members who follow a particular faith, culture, or religion, to take up to three days leave, per calendar year to participate in their community cultural events and obligations.
Contact
CSIRO Careers