Q: I wondered if you could provide some assistance around the process the business should follow when an employee is unable to come to work due to being a close contact to someone with Covid.

We have 3 employees who are unable to work for this reason and the nature of their job means they cannot work from home.

We have been trying to find out the best practice on steps to follow to ensure these employees are not out of pocket. I have been searching for information, 1 site (Work and Income) mentions the Leave Support Scheme another (MBIE) talks about the employee using their available leave.

Are you able to assist with the best steps and the order of the steps to follow for this situation?

A: Here are the two main references for this:

– Short term absence payment: https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/covid-19/short-term-absence-payment/index.html

– Leave support scheme: https://www.workandincome.govt.nz/covid-19/leave-support-scheme/index.html

If they are not sick then they cannot use SL, if they have exhausted SL and are sick, they can ask to use annual leave (if they have entitlement) but the employer may approve this (not a right).

You cannot force them to take leave or use their leave (unless not less than 14 days for annual leave entitlement), so that would mean they get paid their normal pay for the first 14 days if nothing of the above options are used.