The COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme is available to employers, including self-employed people, to help pay their employees who have been advised to self-isolate because of COVID-19 and can’t work at home during that period.
The Leave Support Scheme is now a weekly payment. It’s been changed from two-weekly to a one-week payment to recognise the periods of self-isolation have changed.
This means your employees:
- can’t come into work because they are in one of the affected groups and have been told to self-isolate, and
- can’t work from home.
The COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme is paid at the rate of:
- $600.00 a week for full-time workers who were working 20 hours or more a week.
- $359.00 a week for part-time workers who were working less than 20 hours a week.
To be eligible for a one-week payment, your employee will have been advised to self-isolate for at least four consecutive calendar days.
If your employee needs to keep self-isolating for at least 11 calendar days or more and can’t work from home, you can apply for a second week payment. You can apply for third and subsequent Leave support payments for every further seven days of self-isolation. For more information see Work and Income NZ
For advice on this Scheme, get in touch.