When a Business faces Financial Pressure
When a business is facing financial pressure, it can be very stressful, not only for the directors and shareholders, but all related parties including creditors, suppliers and employees. If you seek help early, and take good advice, then these stresses can be managed. The sooner a risk is identified, the more options that are open to a business to deal with financial stress.
Health & Safety Law for Volunteers and Charities
The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 comes into force on 4 April 2016. The new legislation does provide exemptions for volunteer organisations, associations and charities. If you are running a charity or a volunteer organisation it is important to know where you fit under the new workplace health and safety law.
Keep making movies and going on school camps
There has been recent media coverage detailing the concerns of company directors around their responsibilities under the incoming Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. Peter Jackson has resigned as a director from Weta Workshop citing concerns over personal liability for breaches of health and safety legislation. School principals have opened up to the media stating they are considering cancelling outdoor activities, and are spending thousands of dollars to audit their health and safety procedures.
In our view these actions of company directors and school principals are based on unfounded fears and are unnecessary.
Workplace Health & Safety - working at home
The new Health and Safety at Work Act will come into being in April 2016. One of the questions that comes up regularly is, what is the effect of the new law if you are working at home or if work is being undertaken at your home? This becomes particularly relevant during the extended holiday break when business owners or employees are sometimes called upon to do extra work from home.
WINZ prosecution - PC safety madness?
The courts recently entered a conviction against the Ministry of Social Development relating to the tragic shootings at the WINZ office in Ashburton. The Ministry was found to have failed to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of its employees under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992.
Many people I have spoken to see the prosecution as “PC madness” brought about by the new health and safety laws. How can WINZ be held responsible for the violent acts of an aggrieved gunman? Even the Ministry itself didn’t agree with a particular aspect of the ruling and challenged the court’s interpretation of what a safe office layout should be.
