10. DARIEN FENTON (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister of Labour
Does she stand by her statement in relation to the proposed sick leave changes, “we do not insist on unreasonable grounds for anything”; if so, does she understand the difference between insisting on and allowing unreasonable grounds?
When she said that removing the need for employers to have reasonable grounds for requiring proof of sickness was “clarifying the law”, did she mean to clarify the law so that employers will not have to have any reasonable grounds whatsoever to suspect sick leave is not genuine?
Hon KATE WILKINSON Link to this
What I meant was that the proposal is meant to clarify the law, making it much simpler to understand and to implement. The requirement of reasonable grounds does not offer any assistance as to what it actually means, as it is a matter of interpretation. In practice, although I do not expect this provision to be used much more than it currently is, it is a small change merely to clarify the existing law.
Has she read the research conducted by Southern Cross Healthcare last year, which found that the majority of cost incurred by employers for sickness was not from sick leave but from lost productivity from those who go to work when they are sick; if so, why is she proposing to exacerbate that problem with this policy?
Hon KATE WILKINSON Link to this
I do not accept that this exacerbates that problem. All this does is clarify; it is a simple change to clarify the current law, making it simpler and easier to understand and to implement.
Is she aware that New Zealand workers are already entitled to fewer sick leave days than nearly every other comparable country, including Australia; if so, how does this Government expect to stop our best and brightest from leaving for Australia, where they offer both better wages and better leave?
Hon KATE WILKINSON Link to this
They will stop leaving New Zealand to go to Australia because we have the best Government we have had in 10 years and the very best Prime Minister we have had in 10 years.