What about me?
Anyone that runs a business knows what its like to be bombarded with advice from experts about how important it is to look after and make staff feel valued. Well its tough being a boss too. Here is an edited (for language) email I sent out to my crew after last weekends corporate rowing regatta.
I don’t think any of you realise how distressful it is to be a partner in this firm.
This was my Saturday.
90 Day Trials - make sure you get it right
The Employment Relations Authority takes a strict approach to 90 day trials and it has previously held that a trial period clause was invalid after an employee started working two hours before signing their employment agreement. The following case is a clear example of this.
What is Mediation and is it right for me?
The first questions most people will ask when experiencing a dispute are - what are my options and how can this come to an end? Where parties are unwilling to resolve a dispute, a good and cost effective option is mediation.
Call It What You Want
Defining and understanding what relationship you have with a worker is important as each relationship brings different rights and responsibilities for the parties.
A Dunedin taxi company has been ordered to pay nearly $100,000 in wage arrears after the Employment Relations Authority (“the ERA”) found it had been wrongly treating four of its former drivers as independent contractors (rather than employees) in an attempt to save money.
The Dough-Throwing Baker
We frequently remind employers carrying out disciplinary investigations about “process, process, process”. Even where an employer believes they have good reasons to dismiss an employee, a fair and proper process must be followed.
The Employment Relations Authority (“the ERA”) often find an employer’s reason for a dismissal was justified, but the process was flawed, resulting in a unjustifiable dismissal.
Recently, however, an Auckland Bakery were found to have followed a proper process but failed to prove they had good reason to dismiss an employee.
