Employment Obligations - Time for a Warrant of Fitness
The fact that dairy farm workers, in particular, often work longer hours than usual over spring makes it important for farmers to be vigilant during this time in ensuring they meet their legal obligations. We have written articles that have addressed this very point on a number of occasions. But the issue continues to rear its head.
Process, process. process
Even terrible employees and those acting in clear breach of company policy are entitled to a fair dismissal process. Yet another decision from the Employment Relations Authority reminds us that when it comes to employment law the golden rule is process, process, process.
I hereby offer you employment
By law, good faith behaviour is required when entering into individual employment agreements. The essence of the obligations imposed on employers by the Employment Relations Act 2000 is to provide employees with the necessary rights to address the imbalance in bargaining power between them and the employer.
Often overlooked are the obligations on employers when offering employment to prospective employees. Let’s consider what must be done.
The Great Fish & Chip Incident of 2007
It is important in business, as it is in life, to read the small print. This is also true when you are signing employment agreements.
I say this to lead into a public apology that I feel obligated to make following the Cottage Kindergarten’s disco and fish and chip night.*
Who is recording you?
Under the Crimes Act, it is a crime to record a private conversation that you are not a party to. The offence requires you to deliberately record people in conversation who believe that they have an expectation of privacy.
It is not, however, an offence to record a conversation that you are a party to. Despite this, the legality of recording conversations where only one party knows they are being recorded does get hazy in the employment sphere.
