Are sick leave entitlements being abused?
On July 24th, 2021, entitlements for employees’ sick days in New Zealand were amended and increased from 5 days to 10 days per annum. This was possibly designed to ensure workers stayed at home during Covid to protect the workplace from infection, but some are concerned and asking, “Is this being abused by staff to enjoy a day off at the expense of their employer?”
As employers, it’s obvious that without staff – we can’t function. What may just be a ‘sickie’ after a late night for one member of staff, may have serious repercussions in lost revenue for us. How can we as business owners, ensure our staff respect that our business still has to operate and not abuse the new sick day changes?
How Do The New Changes Work?
The new changes came into effect this year after 24th July 2021. Employees are now entitled to an extra 5 sick days per annum based on their next entitlement date. A worker’s entitlement date will be either after reaching 6 months of employment (after 24/7/21) or on their sick leave entitlement anniversary. (which is renewed every 12 months after their last entitlement).
What If I Think Staff May Be Abusing Sick Leave Entitlement?
As an employer, you are entitled to ask employees for a valid medical certificate after 2 days of sick leave. If you find there is an issue with this, it may be worth talking to an employment relations advisor for specific advice.
Communication is key when handling this type of conflict in your business. It is important to set expectations with your employees, letting them know that abusing sick days will damage the business in the long run. Appeal to their sense of goodwill in the first instance.
It’s crucial to create an open dialogue with employees to enable difficult conversations regarding abuse of the new sick leave.
Consider looking at annual leave entitlements for your employees and help them schedule annual leave. Booking blocks of time off and long weekends can make a huge difference to sick leave habits. Planned time off will help both the employee and your business in the long run and may help reduce any abuse of sick days entitlements.
If you are looking for advice that you can trust from an expert in Employment Relations and Workplace Safety, talk to Employsure.
Special offer – get in touch with Matt Harris today and mention Robin Martin for a free workplace review – you can call Matt on 027 700 5790.
Robin Martin
