Legal publications & articles

Since the Covid-19 Level 4 Lockdown, many people have been taking part in the Government’s Wage Subsidy Scheme.

As an employer, it is crucial that you are aware of your legal responsibilities when dealing with your employees. Being unaware of the law or not keeping up to date with changes to the law, will not be a defence if there is a breakdown...

Employers should find some comfort in a recent Employment Court decision denying an employee financial remedies because his animal cruelty resulted in an unjustified dismissal. However, despite the outcome being favourable to the employer, the case highlights the cost of defending a personal grievance claim. By way...

The national statistics on safety in the workplace on farms are sobering. Since the Pike River mining disaster, the number of deaths on farms was greater than the loss of lives at Pike River. The farm employer’s obligations under health and safety legislation...

As from 1 April 2016, the minimum wage will increase from $14.75 per hour to $15.25 per hour. Although many employees will be paid a salary, it is important to ensure that, in any fortnightly period, the number of hours worked do not result in...

At the recent update hosted by the Employment Relations Authority we were reminded how crucial it is for employers to have tangible written records of their disciplinary processes. Without this written evidence, it is virtually impossible to successfully defend a personal grievance claim. The good...

With the drop in the milk payout it may be tempting to cut costs by reducing staff numbers. However, as always with employment, making staff redundant is not as straightforward as it seems. To avoid an employee taking a personal grievance, employers need to be...

A topical issue for many farmers is the common industry practice of averaging wages for employees over the season. There are many reasons why averaging of hours is preferred. It is difficult to anticipate the hours that an employee will spend working because of the seasonal...

The national statistics on safety in the workplace on farms are nothing short of appalling. It is a sobering fact that the number of deaths on farms in the last two years was greater than the loss of lives in the PikeRiver mining disaster. In the...

Employers can offer employment on a trial period of up to 90 days. During this trial period if an employee is dismissed, that employee cannot bring a personal grievance in respect of the dismissal. It is important that employers fully understand their obligations, to ensure that...