News

August 2015

Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 passed Expand article
Contract article

The Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 was based on the employee/employer relationship. The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 broadens this to include “workers” and “persons conducting a busine...

Read More
Tougher Employment Standards Expand article
Contract article

The Employment Standards Legislation Bill introduced to Parliament on 13 August 2015 promotes fairer and more productive workplaces by providing enhanced protections and benefits for both employers an...

Read More
Changes to Easter Sunday Trading Expand article
Contract article

Currently most shops are prohibited from trading on Christmas Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday and ANZAC Day (until 1.00 pm on 25 April).  However some businesses such as dairies, service stations, tak...

Read More
Rest and Meal Breaks Expand article
Contract article

Entitlement The former prescriptive approach to rest and meal breaks which was unworkable in many situations, is repealed.  However, employees are entitled to rest and meal breaks that provide a reaso...

Read More
Good Faith Expand article
Contract article

The Employment Court’s decision in Vice-Chancellor of Massey University v Wrigley [2010] NZEmpC 37 caused employers to be concerned about the information required to be provided to an employee in resp...

Read More
Continuity of Employment (Part 6A) - Subpart 1 Expand article
Contract article

Object The object of subpart 1 of the Act is to provide protection to specified categories of employees if as a result of restructuring, their work is to be performed by another person. The categories...

Read More
Flexible Working Expand article
Contract article

The Act extends the right to request flexible working arrangements to all employees, not just those with caring responsibilities as was previously the case. In this context “working arrangements” mean...

Read More
Trial Periods Expand article
Contract article

The Act has clarified a grey area concerning the lawfulness of trial periods for employees bound by a collective agreement. The amended s.67A(5) in essence provides that a trial period may be included...

Read More
Removal of 'first 30 days' rule Expand article
Contract article

Previously where there was an applicable collective agreement in place, the terms and conditions of employment for all new employees for the first 30 days, could not be inconsistent with those of the ...

Read More
Strikes and Lockouts Expand article
Contract article

Written Notice of all lawful strikes and lockouts is required No employee may strike: Unless the strike is lawful, Without having given to the employer and the Chief Executive of the Ministry of Busin...

Read More
Changes to Kiwisaver Expand article
Contract article

The minimum contribution rate for both employers and employees is now 3%. This change has caused a number of clients to reconsider their remuneration structures because of concerns about: The increasi...

Read More
Health and Safety Update Expand article
Contract article

There have been a number of significant developments in Health & Safety with the Independent Taskforce into Workplace Health and Safety releasing its report to Labour Minister Simon Bridges on 30 Apri...

Read More

1 2