The Association will continue to monitor and seek amendments to those Sections of the recently announced Sick Leave Bill that affect employers in the Service sector disproportionately .
The Bill makes mandatory the payment to any employee at a rate no less than 70% of the rate for the day(s) absent and confirmed by a Sick Note from a medical practitioner.
For those in our styles of business, an absence of a colleague in the customer-facing part of the business (sales assistant/cashier/waiter) necessitates a call-up of a replacement; this is (in the words of the Department of Enterprise official in charge of designing the Scheme), a “Double-Whammy”.
It is our contention that the introduction of the Sick Pay Scheme should NOT affect employers differently and allowances should be built into the Scheme to allow for the offset of genuine and necessary costs incurred that are because of bringing in replacement staff whilst paying Sick Leave.
We will, as ever, keep you informed.
