BY THE PAKURANGA CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU
Now is the time to think of holidays and leave.
Time off work is vital both for the health of the employees as well as the health of the organisation. Time off not only reduces stress, it has also been shown to increase productivity.
This is what employers must do:
- give employees at least four weeks of paid annual holidays (not including public holidays or sick leave), either in full each year on the anniversary of their start date, or building up throughout the year
- let them take at least two weeks at once if they want to
- consider any request to pay out up to one week of their annual holiday entitlement, unless you have a policy stating you won’t cash up any annual leave
- keep records of all leave to avoid disputes
- give employees at least 14 days’ notice before an annual closedown
- give employees at least 14 days’ notice if you are requiring them to take annual holidays.
What employers can also do:
- set limits on how much leave you’ll let employees carry over each year – let them know they’ll be made to take leave if too much builds up
- make employees who’ve built up too much leave take some or all of it – if you and your employee can’t agree when the leave will be taken, you have to give them at least 14 days’ notice before requiring them to take leave
- let your employees exchange up to a week of annual leave for cash each year (you can’t ask or pressure them to do this)
- decline your employee’s request for leave if you have a good reason, for instance during an especially busy sales period
- agree to let employees take paid leave in advance – you should ask them to agree in writing that if they leave the job before they’ve earned back the leave they’ve taken, you can deduct the outstanding amount from their final pay.
This Solutions Column has been compiled by Vani and is a regular Times editorial from the Pakuranga Citizens Advice Bureau. Email enquiries.pakuranga@cab.org.nz or visit us at the Library Building, Pakuranga, Phone 576 8331 and at Botany Citizens Advice Bureau, rear Food Court entrance, Botany Town Centre, Phone 271 5382 or 0800 367 222 for free, confidential and informative help.
