Skip to content

Submission Guide | Holidays Act changes

Text on a picture of a calendar. Text reads: Submission Guide. Holidays Act Changes. Employment Leave Bill. Below the text is a black and red logo for the NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi.

Photo: Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash

Submissions on Brooke van Velden’s Holidays Act changes are due on the 14th of April. The Bill poses a huge risk to New Zealanders’ leave and holiday pay, especially for already vulnerable casual and part-time workers.

If you would feel comfortable speaking to the Select Committee directly, we encourage you to click Yes when asked if you’d like to make an oral submission.

The changes introduced by the Employment Leave Bill affect different groups of workers differently, so we need to hear from as many working people as possible!

Make your voice heard

Start your submission with your stance

e.g., “I oppose the reforms to the Holidays Act.”

Tell the committee about yourself

You might want to tell them:

  • Your name and age.
  • Your job, especially if you’re in precarious or casual work.
  • Who you do this work for – your whānau, your community, your loved ones

Why do you have this stance?

Tell the Select Committee why you oppose the changes being made to the Holidays Act. We recommend making this personal and putting it in your own words.

  • Are you a part-time worker who will lose leave because of these changes?
  • Do you often work public holidays? Are you worried about losing your days in lieu?
  • Are you someone who will lose out on sick leave and annual leave because you’re on a casual contract?
  • Are you concerned about the way these changes complicate processes for workers and employers?
  • Are you a working parent? Are you worried that losing holidays and/or sick leave will make it harder to look after your children?
  • Are you struggling to afford things as it is? Are you concerned that losing out on holiday pay will make things worse?

Make your recommendation

You can recommend changes to the reforms, or you can recommend that they not be passed at all. We recommend abandoning the Bill. Be clear and specific in your answer:

“I’d like to make the recommendation that Employment Leave Bill be thrown out”.

e.g., I recommend that the Select Committee abandon the changes to the Holidays Act”, or

Other things to keep in mind

  • Keep it personal. Really making your submission your own will mean that the Committee gets to hear the full range of workers’ voices on this Bill..
  • Keep it relevant. It might be tempting to get into a full list of this Government’s attacks on workers… but this Select Committee is specifically on the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill. Your submission should reflect that.
  • Keep it respectful. Leave out any personal attacks on political parties or MPs—these could lead to your submission being left out. Don’t include any offensive language.

When you’re ready to make your submission, go to the Parliament website here.