Managing staff isn't just about what happens at work; it is also about managing holidays.
5 things to remember about annual leave
As an employer, you're responsible for keeping accurate, up-to-date records about much-deserved time off.
Annual holiday entitlement does not expire, staff are entitled to their holidays until they take them. Only one week of leave per year may be cashed up, and only with your consent.
If you are changing an employee's contract from full-time to part-time, we recommend you seek professional advice, as their leave entitlement will be impacted.
Businesses need to be reasonable in considering requests, you can't unreasonably refuse and employee who wants to take annual leave.
However, employers can decline unpaid leave requests or advanced holiday pay requests.
You can only require an employee to take a holiday if you can't agree on when leave should be taken. In this event, staff need 14 days notice.
A business can’t make an employee take their annual holiday in advance, except when the company has an annual close down.
What to know about public holidays
Following the introduction of Matariki in 2022, employees in New Zealand get 12 public holidays a year. But what happens if your business needs to stay open on a national holiday?
When employees work all or part of a public holiday, businesses must:
pay staff at least time and a half for the hours they work, and
if the day is one they would normally have worked, give them an alternative holiday / a day in lieu.
You can only require a team member to work on a public holiday if it falls on a day they would usually be working and their employment agreement requires them to work the public holiday.
Disclaimer: This publication has been carefully prepared, but it has been written in general terms only. The publication should not be relied upon to provide specific information without also obtaining appropriate professional advice after detailed examination of your particular situation.
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