One Garlic Naan with a side of Exploitation please
I very recently took the plunge and attempted to extend my culinary repertoire to include Indian-style curry. I have always enjoyed a curry, even if only on a European-spicy butter chicken level. Until now I had never been brave enough to try and make one myself for fear that my dinner would be completely inedible. This fear, combined with a long ingrained mentality of hating to waste food, means I have a tendency to live off nachos. Turns out simply adding coconut water and some spices to anything makes it delicious.
Relief Carers Not Homeworkers
Last year a full bench of the Employment Court released a decision which fundamentally changed the landscape of some 27,000 relief carers in New Zealand. As things stood prior to the decision this significant work force had no employment rights and received what can only be described as inadequate compensation for the work they did. For example providing relief care for a full 24 hour period gleaned a relief carer a mere $75.00 from the Carer Support Scheme Fund; which itself is financed by the Ministry of Health and District Health Boards. That equates to approximately $3.00 an hour; well below the minimum wage.
Trial and probationary periods - know the difference
It’s unfortunate but all too common: small employers continue to make mistakes that cost them dearly.
A recent case saw a Mr L. start working for a couple that were running a bee keeping business. The couple believed they employed Mr L. as a trainee bee keeper but Mr L. said he was employed as a labourer. After nine weeks the couple dismissed Mr L. on the basis that he was unsuitable to work as a bee keeper. Just like that.
Property Investment - LVR Changes
From 1 October 2016 the new investor loan to value (LVR) restrictions will take effect for registered banks. However banks have already been applying the restrictions unless you had pre-approval prior to the restrictions being announced.
Circumstances do change
There have literally been hundreds of times that we have been contacted by employers who say they want a ‘casual’ employment agreement for their employee, or they want an updated agreement for their ‘casual’ employee.
When we get into it we regularly find that what may have started out, originally, as a totally intermittent arrangement between the employer and the employee where the employer was free to offer work occasionally and the employee could accept or decline the offer as they pleased, has now changed.
