Fair pay agreements: are you prepared?
The biggest change in New Zealand’s employment relations landscape in 20 years, in the form of the Fair Pay Agreements Act 2022, came into effect today. The Fair Pay Agreements Act 2022 sets up a framework for bargaining fair pay agreements (FPAs) that, once in place, will specify industry or occupation-wide minimum employment terms. Summary […]
Trend of Increasing Awards Continues
Two recent decisions of the Employment Relations Authority and Employment Court show a renewed willingness to provide increasing remedies under section 123 of the Employment Relations Act 2000. The first is a decision of the Employment Relations Authority, Andrews v Chief Executive of the Inland Revenue Department. Ms Andrews is a customer services officer for the […]
Annual Holidays during 2020 Covid-19 Lockdown – Carter Holt Harvey v E Tū
Employment Court rules employers were not entitled to require employees to take annual holidays during the 2020 Covid-19 Lockdown. The Employment Court has ruled that Carter Holt Harvey LVL Limited (Carter Holt LVL) was not entitled to require its employees to use their annual holidays entitlements during the 2020 Covid-19 Lockdown because it did not […]
OCTOBER 2021: New Zealand Mergers & Acquisitions Newsletter
Residency lolly scramble
4 October 2021 The path to gaining New Zealand residency has been plagued by long delays, shifting goalposts and snaking queues. Last week the Government gave temporary work visa holders some much needed certainty and relief by announcing the “2021 Resident Visa”. This is a one-off visa for some temporary work visa holders already in New […]
ERA upholds vaccine requirements
4 October 2021 The Employment Relations Authority has released its first, and much anticipated, COVID-19 vaccination determination (available here). The Authority found that the New Zealand Customs Service (Customs) was justified in dismissing an employee who refused to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Background In late 2020, the Government determined that border workers would be a priority […]
Aug 2021 Employment Newsletter
Fair Pay Agreements
2 August 2021 The Government has announced that Fair Pay Agreement legislation will be introduced later this year. This could have significant effects on employers, employees, and the labour market generally. Fair Pay Agreements (FPA) will set out the minimum entitlements and working standards for employees in a specific industry or occupation. Parties to a […]