Hon Brooke van Velden
Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety

03 September 2024

Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden says yesterday Cabinet reached another milestone on fixing the Holidays Act with approval of the consultation exposure draft of the Bill ready for release next week to participants.

“This Government will improve the Holidays Act with the help of businesses, workers, and payroll providers who will be affected by changes to the Act,” says Ms van Velden.

“I have heard loud and clear from employers and workers that fixing this legislation is a priority for them and it is also a priority for me. I want to ensure that business owners and workers can focus on what they do best, rather than spending valuable time and resources trying to understand and comply with the legislation.

“This exposure draft Bill is a step on the way to new legislation, but it is by no means a finished product. I know there are further opportunities to improve the simplicity and workability of the legislation, including consideration of alternatives that go beyond what’s in the draft Bill.”

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment [MBIE] has selected a sample of organisations and individuals to consult with in the Government’s targeted consultation.

“The consultation is an opportunity to seek views of those who have expertise in implementing the Holidays Act in payroll and business systems and who understand the impacts and outcomes of the Act for various groups,” says Ms van Velden.

“We had over 700 registrations of interest from people and organisations who were keen to participate in this consultation, with a lot of interest coming from small businesses. This is encouraging and gives a sense of how important this reform is to New Zealanders.”

MBIE has selected 100 organisations and individuals to provide a balance of diverse perspectives and technical expertise. A sample size of 100 provides an appropriate balance between ensuring quality while managing the workload in terms of analysing submissions to keep within timeframes.

MBIE will also be working with public service agencies – notably Health NZ and the Ministry of Education – to understand the impacts of the draft Bill for them, given the historical difficulties that have led to large-scale remediation programmes in those sectors.

“While there may be some people who will be disappointed they were not selected to participate, I want to make clear that all Kiwis will be able to have their say when the Bill goes through Select Committee,” says Ms van Velden.

The feedback from this targeted consultation will help the Government make decisions on whether further policy work is needed before it introduces a Bill to Parliament.

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