More Job Opportunities For Temporary Workers

7 November 2001

More Job Opportunities For Temporary Workers From Paid Parental Leave

Employers are pleased the paid parental leave policy announced today will be funded from taxation instead of an employer levy, says Business New Zealand Executive Director Anne Knowles.

Ms Knowles says implementation issues will have to be clearly understood before next July.

"New parents will still have their entitlement to 12 months' parental leave but will now be eligible to receive a parental payment for 12 weeks of this period.

"That payment will encourage more parents to take leave, which will mean more opportunities for temporary workers, but which may create a larger problem for employers in getting temporary replacements. This will be made worse by the fact that there is no requirement for those taking parental leave to actually return to the job once the leave is over, and no requirement for them to inform their employer of their intentions until three weeks before they are due to return.

"Neither do they have to repay any of the money received if they do not return to work. As a result, women who previously would have resigned knowing they were not going to return to work will now be more likely to apply for leave.

"This is likely to place a great deal of uncertainty on employers and might, in some cases, make them less keen to employ young women - and that would be very unfortunate."

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