SMEs (Small to Medium Businesses)

Employers – Are Your Staff Without Written Agreements?

Despite legal requirements that all employees have a written employment agreement, thousands of New Zealand employees are still working without one, a recent survey by Statistics New Zealand has showed.…

What If You Owed Staff $20 Million In Back Pay?

That is the bill faced by New Zealand Aluminium Smelters, the owners of Tiwai Point aluminium smelter, for years of underpayments, according to this week’s NZ Herald. The back pay…

There Is A Court In New Zealand That Lawyers Are Not Allowed Into…

And it is the same Court that decides the vast majority of all legal disputes in New Zealand. The name of the Court is the Disputes Tribunal. Formerly known as…

Stay Sharp Mid-Winter Edition

Welcome to the mid-winter edition of Stay Sharp – although I’m told it is officially the warmest June in the region on record! Our team have been kept busy these…

Employers: Take The Time Now To Make Sure You Calculate Holiday Pay Correctly!

Does your business pay overtime, bonuses or commissions to employees? If the answer is yes, then read on to ensure your employee’s don’t have a claim for more holiday pay.…

Changes To The Construction Contracts Act 2002

The construction industry is an ever changing beast, and the latest change to the Construction Contracts Act 2002 (CCA) follows a comprehensive review of the industry and the CCA which…

Directors, Chief Executives And Managers – Health And Safety Is Your Responsibility

On 4 April 2016 the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 comes into force. This means that you only have a couple of weeks to ensure that your business…

Brooke Courtney And Mark O’Donnell Join The Partnership

Sharp Tudhope congratulates Brooke Courtney and Mark O’Donnell on their recent promotion to the Partnership. Brooke has proven herself to be a highly skilled property, commercial property and trust lawyer…

It’s So Unfair! Review Your Contracts Now To Ensure Your Customers Don’t Say This About You.

Consumer NZ has spoken publicly this week about “unfair” terms in consumer contracts. Changes to the Fair Trading Act 1986 (“FTA”) which came into effect last year aim to provide…

Getting It Signed

With the ever increasing use of technology the need to sign a document on paper is becoming more and more redundant. Under the Electronic Transactions Act 2002 (“the Act”) certain…