Businesses must pay employees for pre-work meetings
There have been numerous headlines in the media lately regarding big businesses failing to pay their staff for attending pre work meetings.
The catalyst for this has been the recent NZ Employment Court decision where they ruled Smiths City Group must pay their employees for attending their pre work meetings.
The Disputes Tribunal Process
The Disputes Tribunal is a quick and inexpensive way to settle disputes. Each hearing is run by a referee and they have a wide jurisdiction to deal with low level disputes over almost anything.
ACC for Employers
It is well established that Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) law and the intricate process in which it operates can be a very difficult system for employers and claimants to navigate. Consequently when an employee is off work with an ACC-covered injury, an employer can find themselves a bit lost.
Given that many Employers need help covering the basics here are some commonly asked questions regarding ACC that could make your life easier.
When a close shave gets a little too close
It’s no secret that New Zealand has one of the worst health and safety records in the developed world. In 2017 there have already been 16 workplace fatalities in New Zealand. However on the upside, as a whole, there has been significant developments in workplace health and safety in the five years since the Pike River tragedy. We now have a new regulator (Worksafe), new legislation (Health and Safety at Work Act 2015) and attitude and behaviour in workplace health and safety has improved considerably by employees, employers and directors alike.
Lesson for employers - 90 days, no exceptions
The 90 day trial period has been available to all employers since April 2011 and we are repeatedly seeing errors by employers in applying it correctly.
Put simply, if an employee is properly dismissed using a 90 day trial provision they cannot take a personal grievance for unjustified dismissal.
Though it sounds reasonably straight forward if any part of the trial period dismissal is incorrect, even if only minor, the employee may be able to bring a personal grievance against the employer.
