Confusion over future of sick leave
health employment 12:15 pm today
The Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon, has caused confusion after having said the Workplace Relations and Safety Minister, Brooke Van Velden, was looking at reducing the number of sick leave days that employees are entitled to. Velden later denied this. The Council of Trade Unions vice president Rachel Mackintosh spoke to Charlotte Cook.
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RNZ News
5 hours ago
- RNZ News
Workers could be worse off under potential change to sick leave
Government plans to change the number of paid sick days workers can take could leave part time employees worse off. Since changes in 2021 New Zealand workers are legally entitled to ten paid sick days a year,regardless of how many hours or days they work. But the government's looking to change to a pro rata system or proportional leave; where sick day allowances will be different for part and full time workers. The Prime Minister confirmed the review, but says the exact details are yet to be decided. Workplace Relations Minister Brooke Van Velden, who will lead any changes, spoke to Lisa Owen. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Scoop
5 hours ago
- Scoop
No Plan To Halve Sick Leave, Minister Says After Christopher Luxon's Comments
The minister charged with looking at changes to sick leave says there is no plan to cut entitlements from 10 days to five. But she is looking at changes that would make leave proportionate to the number of hours worked. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was asked during an interview with Morning Report whether his government was looking at reducing the number of leave days from 10 to five. "That's something that I know [Workplace Relations and Safety Minister] Brooke van Velden is looking into. She looks at a whole raft of workplace relations," Luxon replied. "It's a bit premature for now." But van Velden told RNZ it was not something she was looking into. "My officials and I have focused on developing pro-rated sick leave, which was previously agreed to by Cabinet. We have not been developing a reduction in sick leave from ten days to five days," she said. Currently, all workers, full-time, part-time or casual are entitled to 10 days of sick leave if they have been with their employer continuously for six months, and have worked an average 10 hours a week, and at least one hour in every week or 40 hours in every month. Workers can accumulate up to 20 days of sick leave, which means it is possible to carry over 10 days of unused sick leave into the next year. "There is probably a need for us to look at it, for sure, and just make sure that we've got that setting right, particularly around proportionate sick leave for part time workers versus full time workers," Luxon said. "Brooke is looking at a package of things around workplace relations, as you've seen already this year, and she will continue to look at that." Describing the changes as "long-needed," van Velden said she hoped to make an announcement in the coming months. National promised during the last election campaign it would not reduce the number of sick days employees receive. The number of sick days was increased from five to 10 by the previous Labour government in 2021, as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic. National wasn't supportive of the changes at the time. After the changes were implemented, the average rate of absence from work in 2022 was the highest ever at 5.5 days per employee. This compared to a range of 4.2 and 4.7 days for 2012 - 2020. Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) head of advocacy Alan McDonald told Morning Report decreases in sick leave had not been discussed with the association and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), or the Work Place Minister's team. "I guess it's not off the table, but it just really hasn't come up and it's not something as employer representatives we've been talking about and neither has my colleges at Business New Zealand," McDonald said. Workplace Relations Minister and ACT MP Brooke van Velden has been working on a draft bill that could make sick leave entitlements proportional to the hours someone works. She said changes in the draft bill could include pro-rating sick leave "to better reflect how much an employee works". "Workplaces that rely on part-time workers are particularly vulnerable to unexpected staffing shortages. To explore this issue further, the exposure draft set for consultation will include a proposed approach to pro-rating sick leave, to better reflect how much an employee works," she said last year.
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
Minister Brooke van Velden on possible sick leave cuts for part-timers
Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden. Photo: RNZ / Reece Baker A bitter pill is on the way for some employees as the government looks to cut sick day entitlements for part time workers. At the moment everyone get 10 paid days a year. Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden said earlier that she was looking at changes that would make leave proportionate to the number of hours worked. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Morning Report he knew it was something Minister Brooke van Velden was looking into. "She looks at a whole raft of workplace relations," Luxon said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
