This Supplementary Order Paper amends the Holidays (Increasing Sick Leave) Amendment Bill. It standardises the way sick leave and holiday entitlements are expressed in the Holidays Act 2003, and means that sick leave entitlements are pro-rated based on whether an employee is full-time or part-time. This will be consistent with annual leave entitlements in New Zealand and sick leave entitlements in Australia.

If sick leave entitlements are extended to 10 days without resolving this inconsistency, employers will be incentivised to reduce the number of part-time workers and increase the use of casual workers. This will reduce opportunities for those who wish to work part-time and disadvantage those with family, study, or other responsibilities.