The Vulnerable Children's Act and Safety Checking the Children's Workforce
Time and time again we are reading on the news, revelations of sexual abuse of children by adults entrusted to their care. The stories we read have involved children in all types of settings; schools, sports, church and many other after school activities. It is not unusual for athletes and adults to tolerate years of abuse before coming forward which is highlighted by the recent investigation by the British Football Association of widespread sexual abuse where up to 98 clubs have been affected in the investigations.
Research, and recent high profile cases like Christchurch caretaker Robert Burrett, and even as far away as Jimmy Saville, show that abusers tend to seek out positions of authority and trust that bring them close to children. This requires us to work out what is to be done to protect children from this and other forms of abuse. That’s why the mandatory safety checks under the Vulnerable Children’s Act 2014 are so important.
Permanent Resident Visas - what you need to know
If you currently have a Resident Visa the next step you may be considering is obtaining a Permanent Resident Visa. This would allow you to remain in New Zealand indefinitely and mean that you did not have any travel conditions attached to your visa, enabling you to travel in and out of New Zealand as and when you liked, whilst still remaining a Permanent Resident. If you aren’t eligible for Permanent Residency just yet, but are looking at travelling overseas on your Resident Visa, this comes as a timely reminder to assess your options and make sure you are familiar with the travel conditions that come with your visa.
Does swearing at your boss justify dismissal?
It is highly likely a lot of us can recall a time where we would have loved to have unleashed a tirade of expletives at specific people in the workplace in the heat of the moment.
Thankfully however, the lessons learned from reading The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama (highly recommended) have stopped me in my tracks most of the time!
Service Tenancies - What you should know
A ‘service tenancy’ is where an Employer provides an Employee with a property to live in during the period of employment. Service tenancies are covered by the Residential Tenancies Act so the standard rules for Landlords and Tenants apply, however there are a couple of distinct differences each party should be aware of.
Changes to the Skills Shortage List
Finding suitable employees for any given position can prove a difficult task for many employers. This has seen employers often become reliant on a migrant work force to meet their employment needs.
