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Home / Rotorua Daily Post

The Premium Debate: Subscribers react to faking Covid sickness

Rotorua Daily Post
19 May, 2022 09:00 PM3 mins to read

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It's been suggested some employees are taking advantage of the Covid situation to get time off work. Photo / Getty Images

It's been suggested some employees are taking advantage of the Covid situation to get time off work. Photo / Getty Images

OPINION

Some employees are taking advantage of Covid to take time off when they have only a "sneeze". The claim comes as figures show as of May 1, the Ministry for Social Development had approved 237,561 applications and paid out $237.5 million under the Covid Leave Support Scheme, which paid
up to $600 for a week per staff member.


Read the full story: Some workers faking Covid to get time off as MSD pays out $23.75m on Covid leave support scheme

Have your say by going to bayofplentytimes.co.nz or dailypost.co.nz and becoming a Premium subscriber.


The system was always open to be rorted by those who are clever enough to do it and with no backup check system it's only going to get worse at the taxpayers' expense.
- David S


And who pays for this? False sick leave is budgeted for by the business so it's the taxpayer who pays. Ironically, the cheat is paying indirectly for the foolishness.
- Warren B

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Taking advantage of the Covid climate and wagging from work is cheating your employer, and as you expect to be paid is fraudulent. Perhaps the people that sell the positive test aka 'get out of jail cards' may end up in jail.
- Steve C


It's the Kiwi way. They don't want to work. But want to get paid. The construction industry is a good example. Lots of people paying for a house. That's left unfinished.
- Anaru B


In my workplace, not a day goes by without there being staff absences. Shifts unable to be covered. And you hear secondhand of so and so having the day off, because they have something on. Covid has nothing to do with it. Staff see it as their right to have a day off as suits.
- Anne M

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Wagging from home is, unfortunately, more common than some want to believe. Most humans are ethical, but most businesses with staff (30 per cent have staff) have experienced significant drops in productivity from 'working from home'. Some staff are better from home. Many are less productive (especially with kids, and school lockdowns or holidays). And some are completely hopeless and need supervision in an office or factory setting. That's the truth. Can we handle the truth?
- Geoff N

- Republished comments may be edited at the editor's discretion.

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The Premium Debate: how damaging are construction cost blowouts?

18 May 10:00 PM
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The Premium Debate: If you're physically able, you should work

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The Premium Debate: Subscribers on the mental health services waitlist

11 May 10:00 PM

Premium Debate: Three Waters reaction and emergency housing motel compliance

05 May 08:30 PM

The Rotorua Daily Post and the Bay of Plenty Times welcome letters from readers. Please note the following:

• Letters should not exceed 200 words.

• They should be opinion based on facts or current events.

• If possible, please email.

• No noms-de-plume.

• Letters will be published with names and suburb/city.

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• Please include full name, address and contact details for our records only.

• Local letter writers given preference.

• Rejected letters are not normally acknowledged.

• Letters may be edited, abridged, or rejected at the Editor's discretion.

• The Editor's decision on publication is final. No correspondence will be entered into.

Email editor@dailypost.co.nz or bayofplentytimes.co.nz

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