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Oct 4, 2024 | 
hcamag.com | Helena Scholes |Gwen Drewitt |Fiona McMillan |Andy Bell
Public sector looking to bring workers back to office, but employees can request flex work
The laws governing flexible working arrangements are under the spotlight following a recent top-down Government directive for public servants to work from their workplaces.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has asked public sector department bosses to “tighten up on working-from-home arrangements,” stating that working from home arrangements are not an entitlement.
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Sep 25, 2024 | 
lexology.com | Helena Scholes |Gwen Drewitt |Fiona McMillan |Andy Bell |Andrew Shaw
The laws governing flexible working arrangements are under the spotlight following a recent top-down Government directive for public servants to work from their workplaces.
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Aug 23, 2024 | 
hcamag.com | Maria Green |Helena Scholes
Amendments to bring flexibility for adoptive parents, unexpected childcare responsibilities
Proposed changes to parental leave legislation promise more flexibility for non-biological parents, and more support for those unexpectedly taking on the care of a child.
The Bill proposing the changes passed its first reading in Parliament in late July.
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Aug 1, 2024 | 
lexology.com | Maria Green |Helena Scholes
Proposed changes to parental leave legislation promise more flexibility for non-biological parents, and more support for those unexpectedly taking on the care of a child. The Bill proposing the changes passed its first reading in Parliament in late July. Named the Regulations Systems Amendment Bill (No 3) (Bill), it proposes changes to the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987 (Act).
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Jun 28, 2024 | 
hcamag.com | Joseph Harrop |Helena Scholes
Recent decision highlights consequences of unjust dismissals of casual employees
Employers are still liable for unjustified dismissal, even when the employee in question is hired on a casual contract – as highlighted by a recent determination.
It is generally known that under a casual employment arrangement, an employee has no expectation of ongoing employment.
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May 27, 2024 | 
lexology.com | Helena Scholes |Maria Green
A recent Employment Court decision highlights the importance of getting it right when applying for paid parental leave – essentially you must use it or lose it!The case emphasised that applications to take advantage of paid parental leave need to be made before an employee’s return to work. By not doing so, primary caregivers can bring their paid leave entitlement to a premature end. Parental leave is a tricky area to navigate.
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Apr 30, 2024 | 
lexology.com | Helena Scholes |Maria Green |Gwen Drewitt
The devil is in the detail when it comes to employment agreements, as highlighted by a recent court case where ambiguity was costly for the employer. In the 2023 decision Supercity Towing Ltd v Huch,[1] the Employment Court interpreted ambiguity in the employment contract against the party that drafted the agreement – Supercity.
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Feb 11, 2024 | 
lexology.com | Maria Green |Helena Scholes
In a determination released late last month,[1] the Employment Relations Authority (Authority) found that The Athletes’ Cooperative (TAC), a recently formed union for athletes had validly initiated collective bargaining with High Performance Sport New Zealand Limited (HPSNZ). This is despite HPSNZ having no intention to employ TAC members and significantly increasing HPSNZ’s obligations in a previously unexpected situation.
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Nov 10, 2023 | 
hcamag.com | Maria Green |Helena Scholes
View of what being sick means is changing
As we leave the winter weather behind us and have recently observed Mental Health Awareness Week in September, now is as good a time as any to consider the sick leave landscape. This article provides a refresher on the ins and outs of sick leave entitlements, as well as considering how the boundaries of sickness and health are expanding.
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May 29, 2023 | 
lexology.com | Joseph Harrop |Helena Scholes
It’s not uncommon for someone to want to let off steam at the end of an employment relationship, especially if the relationship ended on bad terms. However, if you’ve entered into a record of settlement the terms will almost always include a non-disparagement clause, imposing limits on how the parties speak about each other.
