Proposed Law Changes Weighted in Favour of Employers
The Government introduced the Employment Relations Amendment Bill to Parliament on 17 June 2025 and it is currently awaiting its first reading in the House.
The Bill is intended to amend the Employment Relations Act 2000 to provide a clearer distinction between employees and contractors, exclude employees earning $180,000 per annum or more from raising a personal grievance for unjustified dismissal, and remove the requirement that new employees, for their first 30 days of employment, are placed on an employment agreement with the same terms as any relevant collective agreement.
The Bill also proposes to significantly change how an employee’s conduct is assessed during a personal grievance claim.
When is Dismissal of an Employee Justified?
In a recent case* an employee ‘A’ successfully claimed he had been unjustifiably dismissed from his role as a blinds manufacturer and installer.
"A Load of Bollocks" - Behaviour Outside the Workplace
At a recent media event at Wellington Railway Station, reporters’ questions for Minister for Rail Winston Peters were railroaded by a disgruntled bystander expressing his view that the new rail funding being announced was a “load of bollocks.”
Pay Equity v Equal Pay - What's the Difference?
Recent changes to the Equal Pay Act 1972 have sparked confusion and controversy. Just a few weeks ago the issue was at the center of the first ever C bomb in our Parliament’s history. So, what’s going on, and what do these changes mean for workers?
When is a 'trial' really employment?
If an employer wants to test a prospective employee’s suitability for the role, they can, and should, use an employment agreement which includes a 90-day trial period.
Employers should never have a work trial (i.e. a one-off shift) before the employment agreement has been signed by their employee. This can be a costly mistake!
