22 May 2019
By Laura Harry, Senior Solicitor.
Now that employers with 20 or more employees do not have the ability to dismiss those employees who are ‘not working out’ under the 90 day trial period clause, they need to decide whether they should implement the less powerful but more labour intensive probationary periods in their employment agreements.
An employer may require a newly hired employee to serve a period of probation to give the employer an opportunity to evaluate the employee’s performance before confirming the appointment.
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1 May 2019
By Laura Harry, Senior Solicitor.
Many recent and upcoming key changes to the Employment Relations Act 2000 (the ‘Act’) are aimed at strengthening union and collective bargaining rights. They also increase awareness and protection for new employees, particularly where their new role is covered by a collective agreement (CEA).
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10 April 2019
By Laura Harry, Senior Solicitor. 
There are over 300 different euphemisms for “flatulence” – break wind, pass gas, cut one, cut the cheese, bum sneezes, silent but violent, drop a bomb, drop your guts, crack one off, let one rip and of course, plain old farting. It knows no borders, everyone around the world does it and having dogs’ means they’re invariably always to blame. Whilst it’s even the topic of the world’s oldest joke dating from 1900 BC, roll forward to the 21st century where in the workplace, flatulence is often no joking matter and can instead be a source of a personal grievance and bullying.
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27 March 2019
By Laura Harry, Senior Solicitor.
A recent landmark Employment Court decision confirmed the Employment Relations Authority (“ERA”) can exercise its discretion to fix the provisions of a collective agreement. The fixing of a collective agreement by the ERA is unprecedented and a first for New Zealand. The Court’s decision released this week was “one of the rare sort” which required a “game-breaker”. The effect of such a determination to fix a collective agreement means that ratification, and signing by the parties, is not required.
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14 February 2019
By Laura Harry, Senior Solicitor.
It is widely accepted that there is nationwide confusion around aspects of the Holidays Act 2003 (the Act) with many employers, often unknowingly, falling into non-compliance because they misinterpret the Act’s entitlement and payment rules. Employers with employees who work irregular hours are particularly susceptible given the complexity of the calculations required under the Act.
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