The government has now made a significant amendment to yesterday’s directives.
The Minister of Finance Grant Robertson has just made an announcement amending employers’ wage subsidy obligations (for those applying for the subsidy after 3pm yesterday) to “…if a person’s income is normally less than the subsidy they can be paid their normal salary.”
See: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/clarification-modification-wage-subsidy-scheme
This is a big change to the wording of the scheme yesterday at 3pm, which had been changed to “You will, where the wages or salary of an employee named in your application is lawfully below the amount of the subsidy, pay the employee the full amount of the subsidy instead of the wages or salary that would otherwise be payable”.
I can hear the collective sigh of relief from employers across the country…
We will be sure to keep you updated as any further employment law changes are announced.
If you have any questions regarding the impact of COVID-19 on the workplace, you can contact us on:
Auckland: (09) 953 9757
Hamilton: (07) 981 3140
Author: Blair Edwards, Managing Barrister
