“It is anachronistic, overly complex and extremely difficult to apply,” says one top lawyer
A leading employment lawyer has called on the government to overhaul the Holidays Act, saying the legislation is now outdated and overly convoluted.
“Holiday laws are important for both employers and employees – we urge the government to simplify the Holidays Act,” said Phillipa Muir, a partner at Simpson Grierson.
Muir’s comments come after the firm released a report that looks into the most significant issues facing employers ahead of the general election.
Conducted last month, the survey found that 88 per cent of respondents want the government to change and simplify the Holidays Act.
“It is anachronistic, overly complex and extremely difficult to apply,” said Muir, who heads up the firm’s employment law group.
“The overwhelming majority of our employer clients continue to rate this as their number one workplace issue for reform,” she added.
In a similar survey the firm conducted prior to the 2014 election, Holidays Act reform was also a top priority, with 77 per cent of respondents calling for change. The 11 per cent increase suggests this legislation has become even more of a headache for employers.
Other important priorities identified by the study were fixed tem agreements, cited by 44 per cent of respondents, and pay equity, cited by 32 per cent of respondents.
