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If you want to develop your listening skills, try these tasks as you listen to the text. The answers are at the bottom of this page, after the Vocabulary. Thanks to Natasha Groves for preparing the tasks.

If you want to listen and read, just scroll down to the text.

1. Listening for main ideas

First, just listen to the text, taking notes if you wish. What information can you catch during this first listening?

2. Now listen again and answer the following questions:

1. What did the Government announce last week?





2. What two reasons did they give for the changes?





3. Under the proposed changes, when would employees start to accrue annual leave?





4. What is one argument in favour of the changes to annual leave?





5. What is one argument against the changes to annual leave?





6. What proposed change to sick leave would particularly affect part-time workers?





7. Which groups do unions think will be negatively affected by these changes to sick leave?





8. What would be the new top-up rate for casual employees?





9. When is the law expected to pass?

Text

Last week the Government announced their plan for changes to the Holidays Act which covers the various types of leave for workers, including annual leave and sick leave. They say that these changes would make the system simpler and ensure that employers pay their employees correctly.

Currently employees in New Zealand become entitled to four weeks’ annual leave after 12 months of continuous employment. Under the proposed changes, employees would start to accrue annual leave from their first day of work, based on the number of hours they work. That means that they would not need to wait 12 months before they can take some time off. Spokespeople for the Employers and Manufacturers Association and for Retail NZ say that they are happy about this change, as it would be easier to calculate workers’ leave. Unions are also happy that leave would start accumulating from day one, but they are concerned that employers may expect workers to take annual leave for doctor’s appointments or family commitments, rather than for holidays.

All employees are currently entitled to 10 days of sick leave each year if they have been working continuously for six months or for an average of 10 hours per week for six months. The Government’s proposed change to this leave is similar to that for annual leave: sick leave would accrue in hours from the first day of work. Workers could take part days as sick leave. However, there is a change to sick leave that would particularly affect part-time workers. They would no longer have 10 days of sick leave per year but would earn it in direct proportion to their work hours. According to the Workplace Relations Minister, Brooke van Velden, businesses want this change as they think it’s fairer. However, unions think this will negatively affect Māori, Pasifika, women, and other vulnerable workers who are more likely to be in part-time work.

There are a few other proposed changes. Bereavement leave and family violence leave would accrue from the first day of employment. People on parental leave would accrue annual leave at the standard rate of pay, rather than at a lower rate. Casual employees currently get an 8% top-up of their pay because they don’t accrue annual and sick leave, but this rate would increase to 12.5%. However, they would need to put money away for when they get sick or want a holiday.

These changes are not final yet. The law will be introduced to Parliament and is expected to pass before the election next year. After that, employers would have two years to shift over to the new system, although schools would have five to ten years to replace their payroll systems.

Vocabulary

announce – to officially tell people something, especially a plan or decision

be entitled to – to have the official right to have or do something

accrue – to increase over a period of time

spokespeople – plural of spokesperson – a person who speaks on behalf of a group or organisation

vulnerable – someone who is vulnerable can be easily harmed or hurt

bereavement leave – time off work for someone whose family member or friend has died

casual – in this context, someone who is a casual employee works only for a short period of time or does not have fixed times of work

payroll systems – the systems for managing payment of salaries to workers

Answers – you don’t have to write a complete sentence as long as you have the key idea in your answer

a. What did the Government announce last week?

Changes to the Holidays Act

b. What two reasons did they give for the changes?

They’d make the system simpler; they’d ensure that employers pay their employees correctly

c. Under the proposed changes, when would employees start to accrue annual leave?

From their first day of work

d. What is one argument in favour of the changes to annual leave?

It would be easier to calculate workers’ leave

e. What is one argument against the changes to annual leave?

Employers may expect workers to take annual leave for doctor’s appointments or family commitments, rather than for holidays

f. What proposed change to sick leave would particularly affect part-time workers?

They would no longer have 10 days of sick leave per year but would earn it in direct proportion to their work hours

g. Which groups do unions think will be negatively affected by these changes to sick leave?

Māori, Pasifika, women, and other vulnerable workers who are more likely to be in part-time work

h. What would be the new top-up rate for casual employees?

12.5%

i. When is the law expected to pass?

Before the election next year