‘Long overdue' unpaid holiday pay processed
A nine-year wait for more than $40 million in unpaid holiday pay for Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand southern district staff is over.
Yesterday, about $41 million in Holidays Act remediation payments were processed for 5900 current southern district staff.
HNZ Te Waipounamu regional deputy chief executive Martin Keogh acknowledged it had been a drawn-out process.
Martin Keogh. PHOTO: ODT FILES
"We have made significant progress in the remediation project with around two-thirds of our current Health New Zealand employees now having received the money they are owed.
"I want to acknowledge the patience of our staff who have been waiting for their payment and also recognise the huge work from our payroll teams, both nationally and in the regions, who have worked tirelessly on this programme."
New Zealand Nurses' Organisation (NZNO) president Anne Daniels was pleased the wait was over.
"NZNO acknowledges the Holidays Act remediation payment to its Te Whatu Ora southern members, but it has been long overdue.
"These are payments owed to nurses since 2016.
"Payments have been budgeted for by the government and there is a payment schedule in place."
The issue has become protracted — at least seven other health districts (Tairāwhiti, Waikato, Canterbury/West Coast, Whanganui, Mid Central, Bay of Plenty and Lakes) are yet to be sorted.
The payment meant over 75% of payrolls nationally had been rectified, Mr Keogh said.
Anne Daniels. PHOTO: ODT FILES
"This means those payrolls are now compliant with the Act and staff are being paid correctly for their holidays in a nationally consistent way.
"Nationally we have about 90,000 current employees plus 130,000 former employees covered by the Holidays Act remediation project, for the period from May 1, 2010, to the present day."
Southern district is the s 17th payroll nationally to have Holidays Act remediation payments processed to current staff, with Auckland, Counties Manukau, Waitematā, Taranaki, Wairarapa, Nelson Marlborough, Hutt Valley, Capital Coast and four former shared services completed, and a partial payment made in Bay of Plenty, Te Tai Tokerau, Hawke's Bay and South Canterbury.
The payment to southern district staff takes the total amount paid so far nationally to over $491.1m across 65,562 current employees, Ms Daniels said.
"Nurses have been frustrated by the years-long delays in getting paid what they are owed.
"Paying staff correctly for the work they perform is a minimum expectation of any employer.
"NZNO continues to work on issues with Te Whatu Ora such as how to ensure members who work in multiple roles receive their correct entitlement."
matthew.littlewood@odt.co.nz
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