The government agency’s Instagram guide explains when employees are entitled to unpaid leave under the National Employment Standards and when permission depends on their employer.

It outlines entitlements including up to two days of unpaid carer’s leave to look after a sick or injured family member, and community service leave for voluntary emergency management activities.

However, the guide makes clear that neither is likely to help gamers seeking time off. “We don’t think this one will apply,” it says of carer’s leave, while noting that “a video game isn’t a child” when discussing unpaid parental leave.

For those simply wanting to play the game, which comes out next month, the advice is more straightforward: “If you’re out of options covered by the National Employment Standards, you can still ask your employer to take unpaid leave for other reasons.”

The agency stresses there is no automatic entitlement to unpaid leave in such circumstances, meaning workers must reach an agreement with their employer.