{
  "id": 1336456,
  "title": "People are going to 'lose hundreds of dollars a week' taking leave, union warns",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/people-are-going-to-lose-hundreds-of-dollars-a-week-taking-leave",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-16T19:18:14.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "RNZ Business",
    "slug": "rnz-business",
    "url": "https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/personal-finance/1020829/people-are-going-to-lose-hundreds-of-dollars-a-week-taking-leave-union-warns"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A union is warning that employees could lose hundreds of dollars each week when new leave rules come into effect in 2028. The Employment Leave Act, set to replace the Holidays Act, aims to simplify leave rules for employers and employees. However, concerns remain about how the new system will impact workers. Under the new system, annual leave payments will be based on the lowest rate of pay, excluding overtime, bonuses, and commissions. Experts warn that this could discourage people from taking leave, potentially affecting health, safety, productivity, and increasing leave liabilities for employers. The union's national organizer shares this concern, stating that workers who rely on overtime or commissions may find it harder to take leave. He expresses worry that employees might lose hundreds of dollars a week when taking annual leave. University of Otago associate professor Paula O Kane adds that many people may not understand the changes and that employers need to be more careful with contracts and hours to ensure proper payment.",
  "summary": "Workers who do a lot of overtime or receive a significant part of their pay through commissions will see a noticeable difference in the pay they receive during annual leave.",
  "key_points": [
    "New leave rules to start in 2028",
    "Annual leave based on lowest pay rate",
    "Union warns workers could lose $/week"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}