March 2016 Employers Newsletter

The law places stringent obligations on an employer to act fairly and reasonably and to follow strict procedural requirements when issuing a warning to, or dismissing an employee.  An Employer who breaches their obligations and ‘jumps the gun’ too early may find themselves having to defend personal grievance claims – the penalties of which can be severe....full story

An additional feature has been added to hazard reviews; Injury Risk Assessment matrix. The regulations of the new Health & Safety at Work Act also specifically talk about the necessity for management to assess the risk of all hazards in terms of likelihood and consequences....full story

Employers need to be aware of a number of changes being made to Parental Leave from 1 April 2016.  Most importantly, parental leave payments increase from 16 weeks to 18 weeks and more workers will be eligible for this parental leave....full story

Minimum wage rises by 50 cents to $15.25 an hour from 1 April 2016.  It is expected that this increase will affect more than 150,000 New Zealand workers....full story

Please remember that Daylight Saving ends on Sunday 3rd April.  At 3.00am clocks are put back one hour to 2.00am.

Under the Time Act 1974, any Employees who are working during the time Daylight Saving ends will work an additional hour and should get paid any extra hours worked.

Daylight Saving begins again on Sunday 25th September 2016.

This year, Easter period is between 25 March 2016 and 28 March 2016.

Good Friday and Easter Monday ARE Public Holidays. Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday are NOT.

...full story