Important Update – 1 July 2026
The SLOD Program information has been updated to provide clearer advice for donors and their support person. Please refer to the following parts of the Guidelines:
- Section 5 – Out-of-pocket expenses reimbursement over $500 – Australian donors
- Section 6 – Out-of-pocket expenses reimbursement – International donors.
Eligibility
To be eligible for leave reimbursement, you must have donated a kidney or partial liver, or done work-up testing, and be:
- donating in Australia
- an Australian resident (as defined by the Health Insurance Act 1973) with a valid Medicare card
- 18 years or older
- either self-employed with an active ABN; or employed by a registered Australian business with an active ABN and an employer willing to participate.
To be eligible for out-of-pocket expenses reimbursement, you must have donated a kidney or partial liver, or done work-up testing, and be:
- donating in Australia
- donating to an Australian resident (as defined by the Health Insurance Act 1973) with a valid Medicare card
- 18 years or older
Read more about what you can claim for and how to claim.
Donating overseas
If donating in another country, you are not eligible for this program, unless you are donating under the Australia and New Zealand Paired Kidney Exchange Program and meet the other eligibility criteria.
You can check whether the country you’re donating in has a similar program – for example, New Zealand has the Live Organ Donor Assistance Scheme.
Talking to your employer
If you are claiming for reimbursement, your employer must agree to participate and pay you for your time off work. You cannot claim reimbursement for leave if your employer does not agree.
Talk your employer before you start your work-up testing and surgery, and before putting in a claim to make sure they agree to participate.
Key points
Key points to discuss with your employer are as follows:
- There may be some out-of-pocket administrative costs – such as tax and superannuation – but these are likely to be minimal
- Your employer must have paid you for your leave, and we will reimburse them when you return to work
- We will reimburse up to 342 hours of leave at the National Minimal Wage (NMW), unless you are paid less than the NMW
- If you require extended medical leave, we may reimburse up to 684 hours of leave at the NMW, however you will need to complete the Extended Medical Leave form
- If you don’t have enough leave, your employer can pay you an ex-gratia (voluntary goodwill) payment
- Your employer will need to sign the application form and provide evidence that they paid for your time off, such as payslips.
What employers need to do
Employers should:
- read the program guidelines to understand what participating means
- complete Part B of the application form
- provide evidence that they paid for your time off, such as payslips.
If your employer needs more information, they can contact us.
If you have more than one employer
If you have more than one employer, you must submit one Part B of the application form for each employer.
The maximum reimbursement of 342 hours (or up to 684 hours for extended medical leave) applies across all employers.
If your employer does not agree
You can contact us for support in discussing the program with your employer if they do not wish to participate.
If your employer does not wish to participate, you may still be able to claim for out-of-pocket expenses of up to $4,000.
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