More aid for business and workers

Modifications will be made to the wage subsidy scheme, to ensure people do not lose their jobs during the national lockdown, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says.

These include changes to the sick leave scheme, which was being folded into the wage subsidy scheme to prevent double-dipping.

Businesses must undertake to keep employees in employment for the period of the subsidy, he said.

‘‘The original sick leave scheme was designed when few people were in self-isolation ... We are working on arrangements for those in essential work who require sick leave due to Covid-19.’’

Businesses accessing the scheme must still undertake to pay employees 80 per cent of their preCovid income, he said. Where that was not possible – in particular where a business has no activity whatsoever due to the shutdown and workers are not working any hours – it must pass on at least the whole value of the wage subsidy to each worker.

Robertson said the scheme had paid out $2.7 billion already to 428,768 workers.

The wage subsidy did not change any other employment law obligations, meaning employees had to be paid appropriately under their employment agreements if they worked during the lockdown, Robertson said.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said there was currently urgent work going on to sort out support for over-70s or immuno-compromised people who worked in essential businesses. In the meantime, they should stay home and their employers should look after them.

She started yesterday’s briefing by talking about personal protective equipment (masks and gowns and gloves and so on for health workers). She noted that 640,000 masks were released from the reserve yesterday and many millions more would be released to be sent to health sector workers and essential workers outside of the health sector.

The Government was also looking to ramp up some local production of these items.