Are you liable for the negligent acts of your children?
Children, although adorable, have a real specialty for destroying things and sometimes they destroy really expensive things. Take the child who used permanent marker all over the neighbor’s new quartz countertop or the child who rubbed slime all through an authentic Persian rug whilst on a playdate.
Paying for the damage caused by your little angel may be the right thing to do, but a legal obligation to do so only arises in certain circumstances.
What is a Genuine Redundancy?
A redundancy occurs when job or position is no longer required by the employer due to genuine business reasons e.g., operational changes, technological advancements, or economic downturns.
A recent case in the Employment Relations Authority (“ERA”) illustrates the difference between a genuine redundancy and an unfair dismissal which would give rise to liability for a personal grievance. For the purposes of this article, we will refer to the employee as “Maisie” and the employer as “Farm Services.”
Restructuring a business - consultation trumps confidentiality
A recent case Birthing Centre Ltd v Matsas serves as a reminder that consultation plays an important part of an employer undertaking a restructure, even when there are concerns around confidentiality.
The Business Cost of Bullying
In May, the Human Rights Commission and KPMG released a report on the cost to businesses of workplace bullying and harassment. The report considered how businesses can be affected by way of:
- Affected workers taking extra leave
- Affected workers being less productive
- The cost of losing workers and retraining or hiring replacements
- The cost of time taken to address bullying internally.
What Happens to Employees when you Buy or Sell a Business?
When you buy or sell a business there is a lot to think about. Sometimes what is overlooked is a proper consideration of what happens to the employees affected by the sale.
