Upcoming Changes to the Employment Law
With three upcoming changes of the Employment Law coming into effect soon we wanted to share how these changes could effect you.
Additional Sick Leave
Parliament has passed the Holidays (Increasing Sick Leave) Amendment Bill to increase the minimum employee sick leave entitlement from 5 days to 10 days per year, which will come into affect from the 24th of July 2021.
Employees will get the extra five days when they reach their next entitlement date – either after reaching 6 months’ employment or on their sick leave entitlement anniversary (12 months after they were last entitled to sick leave). Those who already receive ten or more sick days a year will not be affected by the change.
Miscarriage Bill
The passing of Bereavement Leave for Miscarriage Bill gives workers’ three days of paid bereavement leave after a miscarriage or still birth, giving them the time to grieve and recover physically and mentally. The legislation applies to parents, their partners and parents planning to have a child through adoption or surrogacy.
This bill will allow families to come to terms with their loss without taking sick leave. It hopes to promote openness and awareness about miscarriages and stillbirths.
Matariki
On the 24th of June 2022, Matariki will be a distinctly New Zealand holiday; a time for reflection and celebration, and our first public holiday that recognises Te Ao Māori. The two meanings of Matariki both refer to stars: mata ariki (eyes of god) and mata riki (little eyes).
The Matariki holiday will celebrate the Māori New Year and begins with the rising of the Matariki star cluster, which appears in the night sky during mid-winter.
The holiday will shift each year, similarly to Easter, but will generally fall between June and July.
What do these changes mean for you?
If you’re using our Partner PayHero payroll system you won’t need to do anything. We’ll update PayHero behind the scenes so that your employees continue to receive the right sick leave entitlement automatically.