Sick leave is paid leave for employees in the event their sickness or injury, or of the sickness, injury, or death of certain other persons. Sick leave is covered by sections 62 to 71 of the Holidays Act 2003. 

An employee is not entitled to sick leave within the first 6 months of employment, however, sick leave can be paid in advance and deducted from future entitlements at the employer's discretion.

After six months service an employee is entitled to five days sick leave, then another five days every twelve months thereafter.

An employee is required to notify their employer as soon as possible if sick.

Sick leave can be used for the sickness or injury of an employee, their spouse, or a dependent.

Unused sick leave accumulates to a maximum of twenty days.

Unused sick leave does not have to be paid out on termination.

A medical certificate is required if the sick leave is for three or more calendar days, even if some of those days were not working days.

The employer can require a medical certificate for shorter periods if they have reasonable grounds to suspect the sick leave is not genuine, and the employer pays.

For each day of sick leave taken, an employer is required to pay the employee's relevant daily pay - that is, what the employee would probably have earned had they been at work.