What to do when a Trustee loses capacity: A guide for Family Trusts
A Trustee of my Family Trust has lost capacity – what do I do? Trustees are the people who own the trust assets and manage those assets for the benefit…
Are There Time Limits For Dividing Your Property?
If your marriage, civil union, or de facto relationship has ended, then you should be aware that there are statutory time limits for dividing your property. Parties are often able to reach agreement in respect of the division of their property without the need for court assistance. However, in situations where parties do require…
Are “Do It Yourself” Separation Agreements Valid?
We have recently come across situations where parties have attempted to divide their property without appropriate legal advice. An agreement prepared by the parties and subsequently signed and witnessed by friends, is not a valid agreement. What this means that an invalid agreement does not prevent future claims. In a recent case, the husband and…
Australian Workplace Health And Safety Prosecution Has NZ Implications
Australian Workplace Health and Safety prosecution has NZ implications
Health and Safety – recent Australian workplace prosecution has NZ implications
Workplace Health and Safety is a hot topic right now and it is important for New Zealand HR Managers and staff to be aware of Australia’s first prosecution of an ‘officer’ under their new workplace health and safety legislation. Similar laws are due to be implemented here in the near future. Click here to find out more….
Parental Leave – The Birth Of Something New?
Managing an employee on parental leave can be full of hidden traps. To help make it easier the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is seeking feedback on modernising parental leave. Further information on MBIE’s consultation can be found here We will be making submissions to MBIE, as we believe there are a number…
Cyber Bullying – Harmful Digital Communications Bill
The Harmful Digital Communications Bill is the government’s response to the Law Commission’s findings that existing legislation does not effectively address new forms of harm made possible by digital communication. The Bill will change the Privacy Act. Currently, the Privacy Act does not apply where an individual collects or holds personal information for his or…
How Do You Store Personal Information?
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…