An economic crisis is not the time to be loading more costs onto businesses in the form of extra sick leave, National’s Workplace Relations spokesperson Scott Simpson says.

“The Government is using Covid-19 as its rationale for doubling sick leave, but if that were the case then surely the change would be temporary rather than permanent.

“Why do this when the Government has already introduced a Covid-19 Leave Support Scheme to help pay employees who need to self-isolate and can't work from home?

“Doubling sick leave just piles more costs onto business at a time when they can least afford it, coming on top of minimum wage increases and the proposal for an extra public holiday.

“More than 200,000 New Zealanders are currently out of work on an unemployment benefit. Making it more expensive for employers to hire new staff will not help them get a job.

“We should be encouraging businesses to take on more staff right now, not the opposite.”