In this article, we will explore three areas of interest and give guidance on what employers can do to address problems in the workplace. Areas of Interest Unjustified Dismissal Unjustified dismissal is one of the most common categories of personal grievance. A spike in unjustified dismissal cases was observed following the transition into level 1 during the first lockdown period in 2020. Although [...]
The Holidays Act Taskforce has now completed its report, and the Government announced on 23 February 2021 that it has accepted all of the recommended changes. The changes will be introduced in early 2022, giving employers time to adjust their payroll systems and practices to ensure compliance. The changes proposed by the Taskforce are intended to make it easier for employers to calculate leave [...]
On 14 February 2021, the Government announced that Auckland would again move to COVID-19 Alert Level 3 with the rest of the country moving to Alert Level 2, until midnight on Wednesday. This unexpected announcement has caused anxiety and stress levels to soar as we face the potential for another extended lockdown. The renewed disruption, isolation, and pressure to work in changing environments creates [...]
Wednesday 23 December 2020 Much has happened during 2020. We have seen a Government which is able to self-govern for the first time since MMP was introduced, we have seen a number of tragedies from the Christchurch terror attacks to the White Island eruptions, and we have seen New Zealand come together in order to combat a pandemic which is unparalleled by anything [...]
SAFE defends 'vegan' requirement in job advertisement This article has been reproduced with the permission of Newshub. It was written by Rachel Sadler and Ireland Hendry-Tennent, and published by Newshub on 10/12/2020. Animal rights group SAFE is defending its job advertisement that required applicants to be vegan. SAFE posted a listing for a head of campaigns position on Wednesday. The advertisement says: "To be considered [...]
Discussions around reform for the 1993 Act began as early as 1998. The commencement of the new Act on 1 December 2020, will be a welcome change for many. With a greater reliance on technology in the modern era, the concept of privacy has changed greatly. Information and data are becoming more valuable than ever and the Privacy Act 2020 strengthens privacy protections by [...]
Due to the continued uncertainty created by COVID-19 both here and abroad, many businesses have, and continue to implement the undesirable, but necessary alternatives of restructuring, redeployment and redundancies. These processes involve stringent requirements which ought to be complied with, every step of the way. In this article, we outline an employer’s obligations when implementing the restructuring and/or redundancy process. We also examine [...]
We reflect on the important message Mental Health Awareness Week promotes. In particular, the focus this year, to “Reimagine Wellbeing Together – He Tirohanga Anamata” goes a long way, especially given the present climate which has put mental health and wellbeing in the spotlight recently. Everyone – one way or another – has been affected by the COVID crisis. We ought not to [...]
Although Auckland is currently in Alert Level 3, most businesses can lawfully operate with certain constraints, provided they have systems and processes in place to ensure measures are taken to manage the risk of COVID-19 transmission. The COVID-19 Public Health Response (Alert Levels 3 and 2) Order 2020 (“Order”) came into force at 11:59 am on 12 August 2020. Under the Order, businesses and [...]
This article was written by Priscilla Dickinson, and published on Newshub (19 August 2020). As COVID-19 testing ramps up, employees may be wondering if their employer can make them get tested, and if they can refuse. On Tuesday, 18,421 COVID-19 tests were completed: 616,377 have been carried out since January 22. The Ministry of Health urges anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms to get a test - [...]