Keep making movies and going on school camps
There has been recent media coverage detailing the concerns of company directors around their responsibilities under the incoming Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. Peter Jackson has resigned as a director from Weta Workshop citing concerns over personal liability for breaches of health and safety legislation. School principals have opened up to the media stating they are considering cancelling outdoor activities, and are spending thousands of dollars to audit their health and safety procedures.
In our view these actions of company directors and school principals are based on unfounded fears and are unnecessary.
Workplace Health & Safety - working at home
The new Health and Safety at Work Act will come into being in April 2016. One of the questions that comes up regularly is, what is the effect of the new law if you are working at home or if work is being undertaken at your home? This becomes particularly relevant during the extended holiday break when business owners or employees are sometimes called upon to do extra work from home.
WINZ prosecution - PC safety madness?
The courts recently entered a conviction against the Ministry of Social Development relating to the tragic shootings at the WINZ office in Ashburton. The Ministry was found to have failed to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of its employees under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992.
Many people I have spoken to see the prosecution as “PC madness” brought about by the new health and safety laws. How can WINZ be held responsible for the violent acts of an aggrieved gunman? Even the Ministry itself didn’t agree with a particular aspect of the ruling and challenged the court’s interpretation of what a safe office layout should be.
Paris climate change negotiations - what it means for NZ farming and industry
The Paris climate change negotiations concluded recently, with 195 countries signing up to a new global agreement to tackle climate change. It is notoriously difficult to get agreement from multiple governments on global issues, so the fact the negotiations resulted in a consensus is a massive achievement in itself.
In the end, this is all about money and New Zealand businesses will not be immune from the impacts of this agreement. The global economy is largely powered by oil and coal with China and the US burning more than anyone else. Agriculture is also important because we need to produce enough food to feed a growing global population. The problem being that these activities, which are so important to the New Zealand and global economy, are also altering the climate, which will have the effect of making us all worse off in decades to come.
What employers wish they could ask in a job interview
I read an article recently about things that Employers cannot by law ask at a job interview. Such things as are you are union member? Are you gay? Do you intend to have children? etc etc. I thought of some things that maybe employers would ask if they could.
