On 1 April 2015 the full entitlement to paid parental leave will increase to 16 weeks. This will increase again on 1 April 2016 to 18 weeks. This means the entitlement will align more closely with Australia and the OECD average. Who is entitled to the increase? Those who have an expected due date on…
We are often asked by clients whether a Section 21 Agreement can be certified by a solicitor via Skype (or Facetime/Webcam). Click below to read an interesting article addressing the issues arising when certifying agreements in this manner. s21 Agreements via Skype
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…
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
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….
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…
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…
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…
