AI = Awfully Irritating
When I started work 30 odd years ago there was no such thing as a dictaphones. Mr Low just shouted at Pam Jones who wrote it all down. There was no email. There was no internet (at least that I was aware of). There were no cellphones. Life was good.
Now something called ChatGPT has entered the world and it may be the death knell to my enjoyment of my career.
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.”
Memo to Staff - Christmas Party
To emphasise our committment to health and safety, we have reassessed this year’s Christmas party.
To minimise the risk of accidents occurring whilst you travel to and from the venue we are going to have this year’s Christmas party on Zoom. At 8.00 p.m. you are all invited to log on from the comfort and safety of your living room and enjoy the party.
