Vaccine mandates - rights and obligations for employers and employees
I have been holding off writing anything about Covid vaccination mandates in the hope that the legal position would become clearer. At this time we have only received government guidance but not the confirmed legislation. As I write this article on Friday 22 October 2021 it has not become clearer but hopefully I can give some broad guidance.
ERA further endorses Covid-19 vaccine mandate
A month after upholding NZ Customs’ dismissal of a temporary employee for non-compliance with the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order 2021, the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) has further highlighted the role of the government’s vaccine mandate in the context of frontline employment.
Buying and selling houses during the Covid-19 pandemic
Despite the global pandemic, New Zealand’s property market has been buoyant with house prices continuing to rise. With relatively low interest rates, many New Zealanders are taking the opportunity to cash in or upgrade to a bigger or newer property.
To prevent setbacks, most Agreements for Sale and Purchase contain covid-19 clauses that addresses how conditions and settlement should occur if the alert level changes. But what happens if an Agreement does not include such a clause?
NZ Customs dismisses unvaccinated employee
The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) has rejected an employee’s claims against the Customs Service for terminating her employment because she was not vaccinated against COVID-19. The employee worked at a port facility, having been appointed to a ‘national role’ in October 2020 designed to assist with temporary additional staffing required to manage the risk of COVID-19 reaching New Zealand through the ports.
Healthy Homes & Landlord Responsibilities
Winter is here, and so too are the Government’s healthy homes standards, which just hit a major milestone this week. As of the 1st July 2021, landlords must ensure their rental properties meet these standards within 90 days of starting or renewing a new tenancy.
