Increasing sick leave entitlements will help protect the health of New Zealanders but employers need support to meet the extra costs, Tourism Industry Aotearoa says.
TIA supports the proposal to raise sick leave entitlement to 10 days for all workers. But in its submission on the Holidays (Increasing Sick Leave) Amendment Bill, TIA says that many tourism businesses operate on low margins and are not able to meet the costs of more sick leave.
The Association is asking lawmakers to ensure measures are put in place to alleviate the financial pressures on such businesses.
“The New Zealand Tourism Sustainability Commitment encourages tourism businesses to become Employers of Choice, by creating good quality jobs and working conditions. However, adding further costs to fragile businesses at this time may trigger more financial stress and make employers reluctant to hire new people,” TIA chief executive Chris Roberts says.
TIA’s submission also points out that more work is needed to clarify the sick leave entitlements of part-time employees. The current proposal offers part-timers the same number of sick days as full-time workers.
TIA proposes that a mixed model is developed that provides a fixed sick leave entitlement to part-time employees, with additional sick leave linked to the number of hours worked.
To read TIA’s submission, click here.
