Australia’s Fair Work Ombudsman outlines unpaid leave options for GTA 6 launch

Australia’s Fair Work Ombudsman has outlined options for employees seeking time off to play Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6), using the highly anticipated video game’s November launch to explain unpaid leave entitlements under workplace rules.

In a post on Instagram, the workplace regulator presented a hypothetical scenario in which an employee has exhausted their paid leave but wants to take launch day off. 

The post highlighted four potential routes to unpaid leave, while noting that eligibility depends on the circumstances and that employees can also ask their employer for an additional day off.

Four routes to unpaid leave

The Fair Work Ombudsman explained that some employees have specific rights to unpaid leave under Australia’s National Employment Standards (NES).

“In some situations, you have a specific right to unpaid leave under the National Employment Standards,” slide two of Fair Work’s GTA 6 post reads. “The question to ask yourself when it comes to unpaid leave is: Why do I need the time off?”

The options include up to two days of unpaid carer’s leave to care for an ill or injured family or household member, unpaid community service leave for eligible voluntary emergency management activities, and unpaid parental leave for eligible employees having or adopting a child.

These entitlements apply to qualifying circumstances and cannot automatically be used to take time off for a game release.

Employees can ask for leave

For employees who have exhausted their annual leave, the regulator’s fourth option is to request an additional day off without pay and seek their employer’s agreement.

The outcome depends on the employer’s response, as unpaid leave for leisure purposes is not an automatic entitlement under the NES.

GTA 6 is scheduled for release on 19 November 2026, prompting interest in how employees might arrange time off for the launch. The regulator’s post uses the release as an example to explain the distinction between statutory unpaid leave entitlements and leave granted by agreement with an employer.

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