Employment

For years, many New Zealand businesses have relied on standard form contracts as a practical necessity – efficient, scalable, and rarely challenged. That’s changing. The Commerce Commission has signalled increased willingness to scrutinise unfair contract terms (UCTs), and recent enforcement activity shows that “set and forget” contract templates are now a real legal risk –

In NZ thousands of personal grievances are lodged with the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) each. A personal grievance is a formal complaint that an employee can raise if they believe they have been treated unfairly or unlawfully in their workplace. The personal grievance process is an important mechanism for addressing workplace issues and ensuring fair

Redundancies have been on the increase over the past 12-months, and as New Zealand’s economic recovery is proving to be more sluggish than most had anticipated, redundancies may continue to rise. Although some sectors have been impacted more than others, redundancies have been felt across the whole of New Zealand and in every part of

The distinction between contractors and employees is a critical issue in employment law, with significant ramifications for businesses and individuals alike. Misclassification can lead to disputes, penalties, and reputational damage. This article cites some of the key differences between contractors and employees and refers to the recent NZ Supreme Court decision.   Supreme Court Decision

This article addresses some frequently asked questions about restraint of trade provisions – a commonplace employment practice. It also flags an important pending change to the law. WHAT is a restraint of trade clause? A restraint of trade clause is a provision in an employment agreement that restricts an employee’s activities after their employment ends.

The Government has announced that the Holidays Act 2003 will be repealed and replaced by the Employment Leave Act to streamline leave entitlements and address other key areas. Some of these are outlined below. Hours Based Accrual Model Under the proposed system, both annual and sick leave entitlements would begin accruing from the first day

The Government is proposing several amendments to the Employment Relations Act 2000  in the Employment Relations Amendment Bill 175-1 (Government Bill). This article identifies how these will impact on high-income earners and their ability to lodge a claim against their employer for unjustified dismissal. The Change Employees earning more than $180,000 a year will not