February
Clinic
February
happening February
Coromandel Workers Council has been set up with the vision of supporting equity in the workplace
by offering services that enable workers and businesses to know and understand their rights and responsibilities.
News
Bereavement leave to cover miscarriage and stillbirth
Parliament has passed a law to provide workers the right to take 3 days off work in the unfortunate event that they experience a miscarriage or a stillbirth.
The law change allows for paid bereavement leave should they or their partner experience a miscarriage or stillbirth. People planning to have a child through surrogacy or adoption are also eligible, if the pregnancy ends by miscarriage or stillbirth.
It is an unfortunate fact that one in 5 births end in miscarriage. Miscarriage is most common in the first 12 weeks of a pregnancy but it can also occur up to 20 weeks into a pregnancy. This is what is defined as a stillbirth. It is less common occurring in one in 200 pregnancies.
Just like when bereavement leave is taken for a close family member so that an employee may grieve and take care of matters relating to their bereavement. It is not expected that an employee should take these days off consecutively or immediately after the miscarriage or stillbirth. No proof of either the pregnancy, miscarriage or stillbirth is required.
The current rules around the eligibility for bereavement leave still apply where an employee must have been in employment for the same organisation for a minimum of six months.
The termination of s pregnancy does not qualify for bereavement leave under these new law changes.
Minimum Wage Increase
April 1st sees the minimum wage increasing for everyone.
The adult minimum wage will increase from $18.90 to $20.00 and the starting and training minimum will increase from $15.12 to $16 and hour.
Changes to benefits and abatement thresholds will also be made positively affecting some 82,000 people after many years of being far too low for people to survive on.
The $20 minimum and hour was a promise made by the Labour government back in the 2017 election, with the government also hinting at a further increase possibly coming next year.
Watch this space
April Monthly Clinic in Thames
This month we will be bringing our clinic to Thames.
If you live in and around the area please feel free to pop in and see us for free and friendly advice on all matter relating to your employment status, contracts, issues and environment.
We will be at the Thames Social Service building, 609 Mackay Street, Thames from 2-5pm.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Changes to the Holidays Act
Recommendations made by the Holidays Act Taskforce has been accepted by the Labour government to improve the current Holidays Act making it clearer and easier to understand for both employees and their employers.
Legislation to implement the changes is expected to be introduced in early 2022 and will go through the full parliamentary process.
This is exciting news for everyone and should help to make taking leave easier for all workers.
For more information click the following link.
Financial assistance for individuals and whānua
COVID-19 continues to add financial pressures on to the lives of many. If you are feeling burdened then check out the different types of assistance that are currently available to take off some of that pressure.
They include:
For more information click the following link.
Mental health resources
It has been nearly 12 since New Zealand had its first case of COVID-19. During that time we have seen huge changes across every aspect of our lives from the way we work, the way we interact with one another, our ability to work and our ability hold on to those jobs to ensure we can keep the minimum standards of living.
For some of us we have been well supported by those around us but for some the last year has not been so easy. There are signs of people being burnt out by the insurmountable burdens that they have been facing and trying to deal with during these difficult times. All this despite the fact that Aotearoa is leading the world in the battle against the pandemic.
It’s important for all employers and employees to know that there are resources available for them to access should they need to or should they see that some working for them needs to.
You can access information about mental services using this link.
The Coromandel Workers Council has adopted the raised first as its logo in a nod to its origins dating back to the early twentieth century where it was used as a symbol of solidarity and support. These days it continues to be used as a salute to express unity, strength, defiance or resistance.
There are many examples of the raised fist being used as a logo throughout history. To view some more examples and rad about its use click here.
