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Happy New Year from the team at RDC / EMA Waikato and we trust that you all had a great break – despite the adverse weather conditions. As we now move into a New Year, within our first newsletter, we look ahead at the changes that will be occurring within employment law this year.  Fair […]

As we do each year, we set out the implications associated with correctly paying staff over the upcoming Christmas New Year break. This year Christmas and New Years days fall on a Sunday and Boxing Day and the day after New Year fall on Mondays. The ‘deferred’ Public Holiday rule will therefore apply to Christmas

Employers are increasingly dealing with the absence of a growing number of Employees through both non-work- and work-related illness or injury.  Medical Incapacity is the obvious and widely used go-to as a resolution for both parties, when the absence has been for a significant amount of time, and where the Employee is no longer able

In our last newsletter, we outlined the details of the recently passed  Fair Pay Agreements legislation (FPA). Since the release of that newsletter, further information has been provided to keep us informed on what is being deemed ‘one of the most significant changes to NZ employment legislation’.  Given the significance of this legislative change, and

The Employment Relations Act 2000 requires that ‘every Employer must provide every Employee with an Employment Agreement’. The Employment Agreement, whether this be an individual or a Collective Agreement, forms a legal record of the contractual terms of employment agreed between the parties. The parties being, in the case of an Individual Employment Agreement (IEA),

As Part 2 in our series related to working with Labour Inspectors, we want to explore the issue of Labour Inspectorate Reviews – a process that most Employers are not keen to venture into unless they have to.  The reality however is that the Labour Inspectorate has wide-reaching powers to review any business against minimum

We are seeing a significant increase in challenges being raised by Union Officials, and Employee Representatives, regarding the notion of ‘availability of employees’, with the lack of clarity within employment agreements posing a potential risk and liability for the Employer. What is availability? Availability refers to any hours the employer may require the employee to

A recent survey by the Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) confirmed what many of us already know – employers are struggling to fill vacancies and many applicants lack the necessary skills to do the job.  The survey covered 335 businesses across 50 different sectors and industries, confirming that there is a serious shortage of workers

A recent media article highlighted the actions of an individual in Otago who had raised Personal Grievances against at least seven local businesses within a short period of time. He had successfully been paid at least $10,000 in compensation payments over a period of approximately two weeks. The Employee claimed to be an experienced chef.