With the whole country now preparing for more widespread COVID-19 outbreak, we wanted to highlight the financial support that you can access to help support yourself, and your employees.
COVID-19 Short-term Absence Payment
The COVID-19 Short-term Absence Payment has been created to help businesses to keep paying their employees who cannot work from home in the following situations:
- Currently isolating at home while waiting for a COVID-19 test result
- Currently isolating at home to look after a dependent who has been asked to get a COVID-19 test
- They live with some who has been at a location of interest and need to isolate at home while they wait for the person in the household to get a negative COVID-19 test result.
This payment support also applies to employees on a casual contract, the amount is the same for both full time and part time workers. This is for a one-off amount of $359 for each eligible worker while they are isolating and is available to apply for at any time.
More information and where to apply is available via this link – https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/covid-19/short-term-absence-payment/index.html
COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme
The COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme is available if any of your employees have been asked to self-isolate for at least 4 consecutive calendar days, and they cannot work from home. This also applies to those on a casual contract.
This payment has also been created to help pay employees who:
- Are sick with COVID-19 and need to isolate until a doctor tells them they no longer need to
- Have been in close contact with someone who has COVID-19
- Are at a higher risk of getting sick from COVID-19
- Live with someone who is at high risk of getting sick from COVID-19, and a doctor or health professional has told people in the household to isolate to reduce the risk of transmitting COVID-19 to vulnerable household members
- Have been asked to self-isolate by public health officials
- Need to stay home and look after a dependent child who needs support to self-isolate.
The leave support scheme is paid weekly at the rate of $600 (full time employee) or $359 (part time employee)
More information and where to apply is available via this link – https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/covid-19/leave-support-scheme/index.html?utm_source=redirect&utm_medium=146
Please reach out if you have any questions.
The team at PKF Hamilton