Why providing a satisfactory sickness benefit to employees will keep them healthy, loyal and happy
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen many employees starting to prioritize the scope of sickness benefits – specifically Jobseeker Support – that companies offer. Providing a satisfactory sickness benefit to employees will keep them healthy, loyal and happy.
But what sickness benefits can employees take in New Zealand these days? To answer this, we will first look at the coverage of sickness benefits in the country.
Sickness benefit now called Jobseeker Support
Jobseeker Support, which used to be called sickness benefit in New Zealand, is a weekly payment that helps employees who have temporarily taken time off work or are working at a lesser load due to a sickness, injury, pregnancy or a disability. According to the Ministry of Social Development, there are about 187,989 working-age people receiving Jobseeker Support by the end of December 2021.
The support helps cover the general living costs of the person during their layoff or temporary absence due to sickness. People who apply for Jobseeker Support are typically looking for work, but people who have work to come back to once they are healthy enough are still eligible for financial assistance.
It is recommended that people who have a disability and whose work is being negatively affected by the disability should apply for the Disability Allowance. The allowance could help cover the ongoing costs incurred due to the disability, such as medical check-ups, doctor consultation, medicines and physical therapy.
The Ministry of Social Development oversees the cases involving Jobseeker Support and Disability Allowance in the country, with Work and Income NZ (WINZ) staff reviewing and managing the benefit claims.
Read more: The art of building a great benefit plan
Who is eligible for the benefits?
There are specific requirements that applicants must fulfil to be able to receive assistance through the Jobseeker Support. First off, the person must be 18 years of age or older or at least 20 years old and living with a partner and children whom they support. The applicant also has to be a New Zealand citizen or a permanent residence for at least two years.
Aside from this, the applicant could either be unemployed and looking for work, under a part-time employment and looking for more work, or are forced to take time off from work or reduce work hours temporarily due to the sickness.
For the Disability Allowance, the applicant must have a disability that would likely last at least six months and have ongoing costs due to the disability. In addition, just like Jobseeker Support, the applicant must be a New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident.
People who want to apply for Jobseeker Support may apply online with the Ministry of Social Development or visit any of their service centres across the country.
People applying for financial assistance will need a medical certificate to support the application. The document should state the specific diagnosis of the person, its effect on their ability to work, how long the condition would last and other information the Chief Executive of the Ministry of Social Development needs. The medical certificate needs to be signed by a registered medical practitioner.
Employers doing their part
Although it is unfortunate whenever an employees’ disability or severe illness starts to affect their ability to work, it does not mean employers cannot take action in easing their experience as an employee.
Below are some ways employers can support their employees with disability, serious injury, or chronic illness.
- Provide employee assistance programmes
The stress employees experience from their disability or chronic illness can significantly affect their mental health. This then can affect the outlook of employees, making it harder for them complete work and can worsen their disease if there is any.
Offering a good employee assistance programme (EAP) that can provide them with the proper assistance they need can build up their mental health. The EAP can offer a way for employees to feel supported and heard by the EAP providers and the company. Not all employees will be using it but having it as an option available in the company is good.
- Create accommodations in the workplace
Understanding the needs of the employees includes seeing if there are any upgrades the company can make that lets employees with chronic and disabling conditions work better. This includes looking through the possible redesigning of jobs and workplaces that remove job-related barriers. For example, companies can consider installing ramps, more user-friendly equipment or more lighting to make the physical working environment easier for the employees with physical disabilities. Companies can also apply non-physical changes to the workplace that accommodates employees, such as offering more sick leave credits, flexible schedules, changing some work procedures, job restructuring, offering training and more frequent work breaks.
Enforcing helpful changes in the workplace can make employees feel more welcomed and can ease any challenges they were previously experiencing with completing work. However, employers do have to remember that the changes being made to accommodate certain employees should not become a hindrance or burden for others. Therefore, it is not ideal to implement accommodations that could create a burden for the majority of the workforce.
Read more: How to support mental health in COVID-19
- Foster an open and diverse community
One factor that significantly affects any employee is the company they have in the organization. Having an open and diverse workplace community where they feel a sense of belonging and appreciation is important for any employee, especially for co-workers with chronic illness or disability.
Companies should ensure their team leaders, upper management, and HR managers take the lead in setting an example in cultivating an inclusive and honest work environment where everyone can feel safe and open to expressing their ideas and opinions. Offering leadership training for team leaders and managers can help ensure they are up to date on how to handle a diverse workforce.
Hosting team buildings and events that promote communication can also help form bonds within the workplace. In this way, employees are more likely to reach out and communicate with their colleagues – creating a flow of communication and teamwork which helps in boosting the morale of employees and making work easier to deal with on a regular basis.
Employers should always remember that they have the power to help ease the working conditions of the company. It is not enough to just offer a way for people to earn money. It is the duty of employers to provide a place for them to grow and develop as individuals in their chosen path. The benefits of investing in each and every employee is something that companies cannot earn with quick solutions.
