Articles: Employment/Health and Safety

The Business Cost of Bullying

In May, the Human Rights Commission and KPMG released a report on the cost to businesses of workplace bullying and harassment. The report considered how businesses can be affected by way of:

  • Affected workers taking extra leave
  • Affected workers being less productive
  • The cost of losing workers and retraining or hiring replacements
  • The cost of time taken to address bullying internally.

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What Happens to Employees when you Buy or Sell a Business?

When you buy or sell a business there is a lot to think about. Sometimes what is overlooked is a proper consideration of what happens to the employees affected by the sale.

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Trustees Liability under the Health & Safety at Work Act

In September 2020, a child was fatally injured on a dairy farm after his jacket was caught on a rotating shaft of a backing gate. The farm was held in a trust.

Worksafe filed charges in the District Court against both the trust and the three trustees of the trust under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

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The Human Rights Tribunal - an alternative path for resolving employment issues

The recent decision of BGH v Kumar [2024] NZHRRT 2 serves as a useful reminder that the Human Rights Review Tribunal (‘the Tribunal’) is a potential avenue for resolution of certain employment issues.

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Changes to 90 Day Trial Periods

On 23 December 2023, the Government changed the use of trial periods in employment agreements so they can now be used by all employers, not just employers with 19 or fewer employees as had formerly been the case. It is important that employers and employees understand the basics rules around trial periods.

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