Opposition to Government’s “Sick Joke”

Hundreds of people have expressed their concern that proposed changes to sick leave provisions will impact on children’s health and welfare, as well as workers’ rights.

The Holidays Amendment Bill will allow employers to require staff to provide a medical certificate after just one day’s sick leave. An employer will no longer need to have "reasonable grounds" to suspect that the sick leave being taken by the employee is not genuine before requesting proof of sickness or injury. Submissions on the legislation close today.

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation and the education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa say the law poses an increased risk to public health, will put more pressure on the health system and is completely unnecessary.

“Parents who use their own sick leave to care for their children will be more likely to send their children to school or early childhood centres sick because of the difficulty in getting a medical certificate at short notice,” says NZEI President Frances Nelson.

NZNO President Nano Tunnicliff says the legislation will potentially put everyone’s health at risk.

“People will have no choice but to go to work when they’re sick because they can’t get into see a doctor, or can’t afford a doctor’s visit. It will also clog up doctors’ surgeries and divert doctors and other health staff away from frontline care into providing unnecessary medical certificates,” she says.

New Zealand law currently provides for 5 days sick leave a year, one of the lowest in the OECD. New Zealanders currently take on average 4.6 days sick leave a year, compared with 7.4 days in Britain and 8.6 sick days in Australia. There is no evidence to show that New Zealanders abuse sick days any more than employees in other countries, or that it is a growing problem.

NZEI and NZNO say the hundreds of submissions should send a clear message to the Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee that the legislation is unfair and unnecessary and poses a risk to public health.

NZEI has made a short video “A Sick Joke” to illustrate the realities of the government’s proposal. http://tiny.cc/sxsqo

ENDS

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