Government push to address pay equity
Considering New Zealand was the first country to extend the right to vote to women it is rather perplexing that such a prominent issue facing the country is the disparity in pay between the two genders. A simple google search makes it abundantly clear that the issue remains a significant one. Yet the problem remains.
In a potentially game-changing move, the government recently announced its decision to implement recommendations made by the joint working group on ay equity. This will see updates to the Equal Pay Act and the Employment Relations Act, creating a modern day process for women to have their claims of gender pay parity heard and assessed.
Failure to Acknowledge Family Relationship Unfair
The nature of family relationships has changed a lot over recent years. Back in the day you would have a mother and father and a handful of siblings. If you were lucky you’d have the odd grandparent, and maybe a smattering of cousins (not trying to imply that all your grandparents were odd). But today this all seems to have changed and sometimes it’s impossible to get your head around the technicalities of merged families.
Attempt to accommodate accident was acceptable
Depending on what industry you’re involved in, workplace accidents are common. When it comes to my daily desk job I’m not surrounded by too many hazards. But if you’re employed in industries such as construction and agriculture it can be easy to injure yourself despite everyone’s best efforts at complying with health and safety. I will always remember my Dad lecturing me about why it’s important to turn off the PTO drive every time I got out of the tractor. What it is important to realise is that if you are injured in your place of work and cannot complete the tasks required of your pre-injury role, your employer may be justified in dismissing you.
Frustration in the Employment Setting
When you see the word frustration linked with discussions about employment law, thoughts may immediately turn to how tensions within the work place can often lead to frustrated individuals. These frustrations can in turn lead to “events”, and a whole lot of difficulty for both employers and employees. Whilst that may be the most common type of frustration found in the workplace there is another concept which can also rear its head.
Does extra work require extra pay?
A vast number of employers remunerate their workers with a fixed salary. In doing so employers can create an agreement whereby they do not necessarily have to pay additional wages if an employee works additional hours. Generally speaking employment agreements with employees on a salary don’t require payment for “overtime”.
