{"id":2451,"date":"2020-12-24T14:01:11","date_gmt":"2020-12-24T04:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nz.legalvision.com.au\/?p=2451"},"modified":"2025-09-02T18:52:37","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T05:52:37","slug":"force-employee-to-leave-work-if-they-are-sick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/employment\/force-employee-to-leave-work-if-they-are-sick\/","title":{"rendered":"Can You Force an Employee to Leave Work if They are Sick?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">COVID-19 has seen health and contagious illnesses take centre stage for many employers. No employer wants their workplace to be somewhere where illnesses spread rapidly or where employees are struck down with illnesses. For that reason, it is important to consider your options as an employer and whether you can force an employee to leave work if they are sick. This article will set out:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/employment\/sick-leave-employees-new-zealand\/\">sick leave entitlements<\/a>;<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">whether you can force staff to stay home; and<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">your obligations as an employer.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n    <div class=\"my-7 lg:my-10 border-y-2 border-gray-100 py-7 lg:py-10 flex flex-col sm:flex-row items-start gap-10\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"w-52 mx-auto my-0! rounded\" src=\"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2021\/12\/17082931\/social-distancing-policy-nz.jpg\" alt=\"Front page of publication\"\n                 loading=\"lazy\" width=\"208\" height=\"298\">\n                <section>\n            <div class=\"text-2xl font-bold\">Social Distancing Policy<\/div>\n            <div class=\"body-text\">\n                <p>Enforce COVID-safe procedures at work with this customisable Social Distancing Policy.<\/p>\n            <\/div>\n            \n\n<a href=\"https:\/\/go.legalvision.co.nz\/social-distancing-policy-nz.html\" class=\" block px-5 py-3.5 max-w-fit bg-orange button__hover transition rounded text-white font-bold text-lg no-underline uppercase leading-tight text-center\" target=\"\" rel=\"\">Download Now<\/a>        <\/section>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Your Employee\u2019s Sick Leave Entitlement<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/employment\/employment-rights\/\">Employees are entitled to ten sick days per year<\/a>.<\/span> This is available<span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> <\/span>after<span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> serving six months of continuous employment with the same employer or work<\/span>ing<span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> consistently each week for the same employer for six months. Sick leave helps employees through illnesses and is an important tool to manage illnesses as an employer.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Ideally, if they are sick, your employees will use their sick leave entitlement to stay home and get a rest from work. If they have used their sick leave entitlement up, there may be an arrangement you can make with your employee.<\/span> This could include<span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u2018advanc<\/span>ing<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u2019 them special sick leave so that they can continue to get paid as they recover.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Can You Force Employees to Take Sick Leave?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While you can encourage your employees to take sick leave if they are ill, you cannot direct or force them to do so. Sick leave is a statutory entitlement and employees must agree that they would like to take it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">It is helpful to have a robust sick leave policy and processes in place to support workers who are home on sick leave. Some employees may not wish to take sick leave because they will perceive that doing so will mean their active work is uncompleted, or clients are let down. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"box box--info box--icon\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Putting processes in place to pick up their work temporarily will help some employees to feel comfortable to take sick leave.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<a href=\"#content-next\"\n   class=\"block p-4 mt-10 text-xl font-bold text-center text-white no-underline bg-gray-800 rounded-t-xl\">\n    Continue reading this article below the form\n    <i class=\"text-xl fa-regular fa-arrow-down\"><\/i>\n<\/a>\n<div class=\"px-6 pt-10 pb-12 mb-10 text-center bg-gray-100 rounded-b-xl sm:px-12 test\">\n    <div class=\"mb-8 text-2xl font-bold text-orange\">\n        Need legal advice?\n        <br>\n        <span class=\"text-lg not-prose\">\n                            Call <a href=\"tel:+64800005570\" class=\"not-prose\">0800 005 570<\/a> for 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As an employer, you have a few options in this situation. The first is to ask the employee to work from home, and assist them in doing so.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"box box--border-line\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">For example, by allowing them to take their office computer home.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If they are working from home, they may not be resting as they would be on sick leave, but they are not passing any illnesses to other people in the office.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Your other alternatives include offering the employee special paid leave, particularly if there is a real risk of contagion to other staff.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In particularly difficult situations, you can also suspend the employee. If you do this, you need to follow a fair process and offer the employee the opportunity to give feedback on whether they should be suspended. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"box box--border-line\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This should be a last resort for most situations with sick employees.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What Are Your Obligations if an Employee Is Sick?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You have obligations to your sick employee as well as obligations to the rest of your employees in the workplace. Exposing other employees to a contagious employee may be a breach of your <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/employment\/how-to-ensure-your-new-zealand-workplace-is-safe\/\">health and safety responsibilities<\/a>. You have an obligation to take reasonable steps and precautions to keep the workplace safe for other workers.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, you also cannot breach your obligations to your sick employee. These obligations, including the need for good faith and the employee\u2019s right to their entitlements, is why you cannot easily force them to stay home if they would otherwise work in the office.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Promoting a Healthy Workplace Culture<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While you cannot force employees to take sick leave, you can foster a workplace culture that prioritises health and well-being. This involves educating employees about the importance of staying home when ill, not just for their own recovery but also to protect their colleagues. Consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>implementing wellness programs;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>providing hand sanitisers and masks;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>regularly cleaning common areas; and&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>encouraging open communication about health concerns.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If management takes sick days when necessary, employees are more likely to follow suit. By creating an environment where taking care of one&#8217;s health is valued and supported, you can reduce the likelihood of sick employees coming to work and potentially spreading illnesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Key Takeaways<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You generally cannot force employees to leave work if they are sick in New Zealand. Instead, you should encourage them to take sick leave and put the right processes in place to support them to do so. You can also ask them to work from home. They may not be resting and recuperating if they do so, but this minimises the chance of passing on viral illnesses to other staff. If the employee refuses in all cases to leave the office, you can go through a process to suspend the staff member. However, you still owe them obligations as an employer just as you do the rest of your staff.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you want to know more about managing employees who are too sick to work, our experienced <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/employment-lawyers-lp\">employment lawyers<\/a> can<\/span> assist as part of our LegalVision membership. For a low monthly fee, you will have unlimited access to solicitors to answer your questions and draft and review your documents. Call us today on <a href=\"tel:+64800005570\" class=\"AVANSERnumber dynamic-number\">0800 005 570<\/a> or visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/membership\/\">membership page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1608781499126\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Do you have to pay staff who are home on sick leave?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Yes, you must pay staff their full pay if they are at home on sick leave (or working from home).<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1608781511851\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>Can employees be forced to take sick leave?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">No, employees must agree to take sick leave as it is a statutory entitlement. However, you can and should encourage ill employees to take sick leave and support them when they do so.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n<div class=\"not-prose m-feedback-prompt\">\n    <!-- Thumbs up\/down bar -->\n    <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__main\">\n        <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__title\">Was this article helpful?<\/div>\n        <div>\n            <!--span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button--text\">Thanks!<\/span-->\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button m-feedback-prompt__button--yes\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:yes\" aria-label=\"Agree\">\n                <i class=\"fa-regular fa-thumbs-up fa-3x\"><\/i>\n            <\/button>\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button m-feedback-prompt__button--no\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:no\" aria-label=\"Disagree\">\n                <i class=\"fa-regular fa-thumbs-down fa-3x\"><\/i>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Feedback form -->\n    <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form\">\n        <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--thanks \">\n            <div>Thanks!<\/div>\n            <p>\n                We appreciate your feedback \u2013 your submission has been successfully received.            <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n        <form id=\"contact-form\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--form\" action=\"\" method=\"post\">\n            <input type=\"hidden\" id=\"authenticity_token\" name=\"authenticity_token\" value=\"ed19fd34f0\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2451\" \/>            <input value=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/employment\/force-employee-to-leave-work-if-they-are-sick\/\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"currenturl\"\n                   id=\"currenturl\">\n            <input value=\"Can You Force an Employee to Leave Work if They are Sick?\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"currenttitle\"\n                   id=\"currenttitle\">\n            <label>\n                <!-- display on thumbs-up -->\n                <span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__feedback m-feedback-prompt__feedback--yes\">\n                    Can you tell us <span class=\"font-semibold\">why<\/span> you found it helpful?\n                <\/span>\n\n                <!-- display on thumbs-down -->\n                <span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__feedback m-feedback-prompt__feedback--no text-lg\">\n                    How can we better improve this article?\n                <\/span>\n                <textarea name=\"feedbackmessage\" id=\"feedbackmessage\" required><\/textarea>\n            <\/label>\n\n            <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--error\" id=\"form-submit-error\"><\/div>\n            <button id=\"submit-contact-form-button\" type=\"submit\" name=\"commit\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--submit\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:submit\">\n                Submit            <\/button>\n        <\/form>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>COVID-19 has seen health and contagious illnesses take centre stage for many employers. No employer wants their workplace to be somewhere where illnesses spread rapidly or where employees are struck down with illnesses. For that reason, it is important to consider your options as an employer and whether you can force an employee to leave<a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/employment\/force-employee-to-leave-work-if-they-are-sick\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"sr-only\">&#8220;Can You Force an Employee to Leave Work if They are Sick?&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13387,"featured_media":136,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"1846,1924,209628,2420,2289,2427","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[24,25,54,337,338],"class_list":["post-2451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-employment","tag-startup","tag-small-business","tag-medium-business","tag-sick-leave","tag-employee-entitlements"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized 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