If you use spreadsheets to track employee, customer, contractor or supplier information, you are opening yourself up to error and possibly breaching your obligations under the Privacy Act 1993, Privacy Commissioner John Edwards says. In data breaches involving spreadsheets reported to the Privacy Commissioner, the numbers of individuals affected per breach has ranged from dozens…
“You’re Fired” – We’re Closer To It Than We Realise
Employers often complain that it is “too hard” to get rid of staff, and say it is a procedural nightmare. We wondered how New Zealand compares to other countries. Luckily for us, the OECD has released its ranking of employment protection (how hard it is to fire someone) across the OECD. The factors considered were:…
Drastic Changes To New Zealand’s Health And Safety Law
6 things EVERY business needs to know Each year 1 in 10 workers are harmed and more than 200,000 claims are lodged with ACC. Current legislation focuses on passive compliance and has allowed a culture where companies can create health and safety policies; train their staff, and consider their jobs done. The “Health and Safety…
Government Consulting On Reform To Health And Safety Law
The forestry and farming industries continue to be high hazard industries despite their importance to our economy. Each year 1 in 10 workers are harmed and more than 200,000 claims are lodged with ACC. Our current health and safety system is comprised of: The Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 (“HSE Act); Various supporting…
Changes Coming To The Employment Relations Act
Changes coming to the Employment Relations Act – The Employment Relations Bill was recently reported back from select committee and looks likely to pass into law later this year. The Bill is intended to make a number of changes to the 2000 Act, including: Clarifying what an employer must disclose as part of its duty of…
Earthquake-Prone Buildings And The Health And Safety Act
How does this affect you? Under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 (HSEA), employers and owners of buildings which are places of work must identify and manage hazards in the place of work. This includes building-related hazards. Building owners must also meet the requirements of the Building Act 2004. This includes standards for…
Recent Changes To Employment Law
There have been significant changes to employment law over the last couple of years with more change still to come. Three key changes to be aware of: Trial periods Employers using 90-day trial periods must comply with certain specific requirements. These include: A trial period may only be used for a new employee. An employee…
Kiwisaver Employer Contributions- Can This Be Deducted From Minimum Wage?
In an earlier blog we discussed the increase in minimum contributions from 2% to 3%. The Court of Appeal has now had to consider the interplay between the Minimum Wage Act and the KiwiSaver Act. The Court of Appeal has decided that compulsory employer KiwiSaver contributions cannot be deducted from wages paid to employees when those…
Employment Policies
What policies do you have? How will you deal with staff if something goes wrong?