ANNUAL HOLIDAYS

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 53, Issue 32517, 15 December 1944, Page 3

ANNUAL HOLIDAYS

POSITION OF THE FARMER MUST KEEP FULL RECORDS NEW ANNUAL HOLIDAY ACT The clerical work and the expense involved in keeping adequate supplies of many denominations of ordinary revenue or postage stamps, for the purpose of the Annual Holiday Act, merely add to the worries of the already harassed farmer. The New Zealand Harmers’ Union has been endeavouring to persuade the Government. to have a simpler method of paying the proportion of holiday pay brought into operation but up to the present time its efforts have not met with success. In the meantime therefore, the provisions of the Annual Holidays Act, 1944, are the law of the land and as such must be observed. The provision of this Act affecting farmers' seem to be as follows: The Annual Holidays Act came into force and was made applicable on and from the Ist. day of August, 1944. Ail farm workers including casual workers, shearers, drovers, musterers, shed hands, etc., must be given annual holidays with pay or a proportionate remuneration for the period worked ?n lieu of such holidays where the employment is not of a permanent nature. Where the worker was entitled under the Act, e.g., The Agricultural Workers’ Act 1942, or under any industrial award or agreement to annual holidays with pay, if, those holiday provisions were more favour able than the provisions of the Annual Holidays Act, the provisions of the other Act, award, or agreement, apply. Must Keep Holiday Book Every farmer employer must, under the Act, keep a holiday book- setting out (a) the name, of the worker, (b) 1 the date on which his employment actually commenced, (c) the date of termination of his employment, (d) the date on which he has become entitled to each annual holiday, in the case of permanent em : ployees, (e) the date on which each such holiday is taken, (f) the amount paid to him in respect of each such holiday, (g) the amount paid to him

in respect of holidays upon the termination of his employment, (h) in the case of casual workers, shearers, etc., the amount for which stamps are affixed to the worker’s holiday card. This holiday book may be incorporated with any wage book the employer is> by law required to keep under the provisions of any other AcL of Parliament, and such holiday book shall at all times be open for inspection by an inspector having the necessary authority. Casual Farm Labour For casual farm labour, shearers, etc., the worker himself will procure from any Post Office a holiday card for presentation to the employer for the entry of the necessary information thereon and the affixation of the requisite value of revenue stamps. It is important to note here, that where the period of employment exceeds three months no holiday card is required, and the employer may and should pay the employee l-2isth. of his ordinary pay plus the value of his board and lodgings in cash after having deducted therefrom Social and National Security Tax calculated at the full rate of 2s 6d in the £ on the ascertained amount of holiday pay. Where the period of employment is less than three months, a holiday card is required and the employer shall cause to be affixed to the worker’s holiday card uncancelled, I repeat, un-

cancelled revenue stamps of an amount equal to l-25th. of the worker’s ordinary pay for that period of employment plus the value of board and lodgings where provided. In this case, the full value of the holiday pay must be settled by purchasing and affixing to the holiday card uncancelled revenue stamps for the ascertained amount of holiday pay, without any deduction of Social or National Security tax, which will be deducted at the post office when the casual worker ultimately claims l cash for the uncancelled stamps affixed by the employers from time to time. Penalty for Offence

It will be seen then that so far as farmers are concerned the provisions concerning permanent workers are not entirely new except that it is now mandatory to keep a' wages and holiday book. In the case of other casual workers, shearers, etc., 4 per cent, or 9d in the £ of wages l paid plus board and 'lodgings must 'be satisfied by affixing to the workers’ holi-

day card uncancelled stamps to the total ascertained holiday p*ay payable. Every person who commits an offence against this Act shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding £lO and if the offence is a continuing one to a further, penalty not exceeding £2 for every day during which the offence continues. The Farmers’ Union feels that the use of stamps on a card, which can so easily be lost or destroyed is not only cumbersome bu£ very difficult for farmers who live some distance away from® post offices, especially in these days of benzine restrictions and every endeavour will continue to be made to secure a more practicable method of achieving the objects of the Act.