Brooke van Velden: Workplace Relations Minister on the Government's changes to the Holidays Act - Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

There's hopes new changes around leave entitlements will mean employers can focus on their core business.

The Government has announced a new hours-based annual and sick leave accrual system as well as the right to take bereavement leave from day one.

The changes also mean part-time workers will no longer have a minimum sick leave entitlement - it'll instead be calculated by hours worked.

Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden says businesses have been struggling under Labour's changes to leave entitlements - and changes need to be made.

"What I've been hearing, loudly, from the business community is that they want it to be proportionate to the number of hours that people actually work."

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