Alan McDonald: EMA Head of Advocacy on Kiwis taking more sick days than ever before

Assurance news of a rise in Kiwis calling in sick indicates a positive cultural shift. 

A Business NZ and Southern Cross report shows workers are taking an average of 6.7 sick days a year, up from 5.5 in 2022. 

Employers and Manufacturers Association Head of Advocacy Alan McDonald told Ryan Bridge while it is a cost, most employers recognise it stops infections spreading. 

McDonald says the stats better reflect the understanding in a workplace, that people do genuinely get sick, and it's better to manage this than have them in. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The key is here calling in sick more than ever,
businesses are feeling it. We're now averaging six point seven
six days a year. That is up from five and
a half in twenty twenty two. This has come from
a Business New Zealand and Southern Cross report. They blame
labour twenty twenty one move doubling the sick leave and
tarament from five to ten days. You'll remember that Alan

(00:20):
McDonald's with us from the Employees Manufacturer's Association. Nolan good morning.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Morning, right.

Speaker 1 (00:25):
So is that how material is that to a business's costs?

Speaker 3 (00:31):
Well, every day you're not working and you're paying somebody
for it, obviously that is a cost and that's a
bit of lost productivity.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
But I mean the flip side is that I think
most employers.

Speaker 3 (00:42):
Realize and manage their workforces because it's better perhaps to
not have them there rather than coming and infecting other
people with stuff, which is what the change was made
for in the first place under COVID.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
But I think still applies with everything else that's around
as well.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
What are people saying when they you know, what's the
excuse when they call in sack these days? That do
people say, I'm just I need the day off that
they say I'm sick. Do they say I'm taking a
personal day.

Speaker 3 (01:12):
It's generally genuine sickness, and I think most employers do
accept that that is the case. So, you know, I
think at the old days of malingerers, if you liked,
you don't see much of that. There's always some of
that though, but it's a very small proportion.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
So this increase is actually just better reflecting how sick
we do get in your average year.

Speaker 3 (01:36):
Yeah, I think it better reflects the understanding in the
workplace that you know, people do get sick, they are
genuine about it, and it's better to haven't managed and
have them in the workplace. But do remember there's a
change coming for part time workers as well, that that
ten days.

Speaker 2 (01:54):
Entitlement is going with. And you leave that book and Alden's.

Speaker 1 (01:58):
Bringing in really interesting stuff. Ellen, thank you for the
Alan McDonald the Employees and Manufacturers Association.

Speaker 3 (02:04):
For more from early edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live
to news Talks it'd be from five am weekdays, or
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