COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment Available!!!
The Government has announced on 8th February 2021 a new COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment (STAP) scheme which is available from 9th February 2021 through Work and Income.
This scheme is to help support employers for employees, and self-employed workers who:
• cannot work from home, and
• need to miss work to stay home while waiting for a COVID-19 test result (in line with public health guidance).
The STAP payment is a one-off payment of $350 for each eligible worker.
For each eligible worker, you can only apply for it once, in any 30-day period (unless a health official or doctor tells the worker to get another test).
GST is not payable on the STAP.
The STAP is to be processed within the same pay period it is received in with the pay run of the employee’s normal salary or wage for that pay period.
Any amount passed to employees by the employer is ‘excluded income, so this is not to be included as income or claimable as a deduction on their income tax return.
The employee pays tax on the amount they receive. Any excess amount not passed on to an employee is taxable and must be included on the employer's income tax return.
If you are unsure if you are eligible for the STAP payment OR need to include this income in your next income tax return, please contact your GECA Advisor.
Anyone who is unwell should call Healthline on 0800 611 116 or talk to their doctor or health provider. Businesses should encourage their workers to do this if they're unwell.
Useful Links:
workandincome.govt.nz...
www.beehive.govt.nz......
www.ird.govt.nz...
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
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82.5% Yes
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14.9% No
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2.6% Other - I'll share below
Test Your Wits! Today's Riddle Will Keep You Guessing!
Only one colour, but not one size,
Stuck at the bottom, yet easily flies.
Present in the sun, but not in rain,
Doing no harm, and feeling no pain.
What is it?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.