Getting holiday pay right
accelerateonline • November 7, 2019
Do you have staff taking leave over Christmas? Are systems in place to make sure everyone gets what they’re entitled to? Even if someone else handles your payroll, you are responsible for making sure holiday pay and leave payments are handled correctly.
Remember:
- Whether your staff work full-time, part-time, casual, on-call, or shift work, they’re entitled to any benefits that come from working on public holidays.
- If your employee agrees to work on a public holiday that falls on a day they would normally work, they will need to be paid time and a half PLUS receive another paid day off later, otherwise known as a day in lieu. If an employee works on a public holiday, and it is not a day they would usually work, the employee is only entitled to the time and a half. The entitlement to time and a half has to be included in employment agreements.
- Employees can choose to take their day in lieu:
- on a mutually agreeable date that is not a public holiday
- on another day on which they would normally be working
- for a whole working day, regardless of how much of the public holiday they actually worked.
- If your business is having a closedown period, employees are entitled to a paid public holiday if they would ordinarily work on the day of the public holiday.
- Make sure your payroll system:
- is flexible enough to handle different working arrangements (eg, changing employee work schedules)
- records all relevant time worked and payments made
- has accurate and up-to-date information.
- If you realise an employee hasn’t been paid the right amount, be up front and correct the mistake immediately.
Accelerate - December 2023
Accelerate August 2023
Inland Revenue have recently announced this year’s livestock Herd Scheme Values and we think this is a great opportunity to update you on the latest movements. The Herd Scheme Values are the National Average Market Values, determined by a process involving a review of the livestock market as at 30 April.
The values for Dairy this year have seen a fall in values across all female classes, but increases across all male classes. The fall in R1 heifer values can be attributed to the prohibition of live export by sea commencing from 30 April 2023. For the first time the National Average Market Value for R1 Heifers is less than the National Standard Cost of breeding and rearing an R1 Heifer.
In contrast to Dairy values Beef values have increased on average 9% and are almost at record values for all classes.
Sheep values have all fallen from the high of 2022, slipping back an average of 10.2%. Whilst values have fallen, they are still either the second or third highest that they have ever been depending on which class of sheep you are looking at.
Goat values have increased on average 7.8% with almost all classes of fibre and meat producing goats at record highs. The value of milking goats continues to be well down from historic highs, except for breeding bucks which are at their highest value.
Like the rest of the world, New Zealand has reeled from the aftermath of Covid, rising inflation and interest rates, and the cost-of-living crisis. This year we also have a massive storm damage repair bill.
Any tax cuts, or changes to the tax thresholds were vetoed in Budget 2023 as this was viewed as worsening inflation.
Budget 2023 builds on the $889m already provided in response to this year’s storms. A further $6b is allocated for a National Resilience Plan , for rebuilding after weather events. $71b is committed to new and existing infrastructure projects: not only storm damaged communications, power and roading, but schools, hospitals, public housing, rail and road.
