Employment Law stories
Builders face stricter site controls, from masked public interactions to work bubbles and tracing records, as New Zealand shifts to Red.
Employers must manage fresh safety risks as young workers are barred from hazardous tasks, machinery and some night shifts.
Out-of-hours messages are linked to burnout and poorer health among university staff, with researchers urging firms to respect the right to disconnect.
Contract wording will decide whether builders absorb Covid-19 shutdown and isolation costs, with no automatic time extension if it is silent.
Auckland martial arts centre Oliver MMA faces a USD $12,000 fine, the first COVID-related penalty WorkSafe has issued under the traffic light system.
Christmas freight and passenger services face major disruption after KiwiRail’s chief executive quit amid looming nationwide strike action.
WorkSafe says directors face prosecution after a metal press left a worker with amputated fingers and exposed safety failings.
Businesses face fresh legal and workplace pressure as about 40% of New Zealand workers fall under new Covid-19 vaccine requirements.
Construction firms can now book priority jabs for essential workers, while employers weigh when vaccination can be required.
Mandates can curb infections, but they also risk bullying, staff losses and compensation claims when workers refuse vaccination.
Families of high-risk workers could face devastating gaps if more employers fail to offer Wills and estate planning.
Many external HR and safety consultants now need a Private Investigator licence to conduct workplace probes, or risk breaching the Act.
COVID-19 has accelerated remote-working and training risks as New Zealand’s workplace safety progress stalls and serious injuries rise.
Workers may be due a different day off this Christmas as Mondayisation shifts Saturday and Sunday public holidays depending on rosters.
Charges for job ads and visa forms have left four Christchurch grocery stores facing penalties and repayments after breaching wage rules.
Employers may need to rewrite drug policies, though experts say existing health and safety rules already cover impairment at work.
Working from home can trigger fresh obligations on contracts, safety, privacy and security, with employers footing extra costs.
Missing colleagues and blurred boundaries can leave home workers strained unless managers set clear routines and realistic workloads.
Six workers must be repaid after unlawful salary cuts at a hospice trust prompted a warning on consultation rules and minimum wage limits.
MBIE has warned employers that rushed cutbacks can trigger personal grievance claims and costly penalties if proper redundancy process is ignored.
