Your Employment Law Link

21/12/2023

19/12/2023

While this might be a criminal case, you can guarantee that there will be consequences for the current employee who has been charged. Should this be proven, it would easily be classed as serious misconduct and result in termination.

These sorts of actions can only be seen as an egregious breach of good faith obligations and the Corrections Code of Conduct. Disciplinary processes will need to be followed of course, however the outcome to this sort of behaviour is easy to predict.

This is an interesting case, showing the occasional overlap between jurisdictions and it will be interesting to see how this plays out!

Five people have been charged with corruption and bribery offences.

17/12/2023

Is your workplace closing down over Christmas? Not sure how this works or what to expect? Check out the link below for some useful information on annual closedowns 😁

If a business has an annual closedown, employees may have to take their annual holidays entitlement.

14/12/2023

What an interesting case! In this situation the employee in question was ready and able to work but due to factors outside of the employer's control, they were unable to offer her work as they had initially planned.

Certainly a win for parents out there! What are your thoughts?

Whether she did any work or not, the woman was an employee and should be paid, the Employment Relations Authority said.

12/12/2023

Wow. It certainly seems that these poor employees were subjected to some serious harm. I suppose one could assume that they would expect some emotional hardship in their chosen careers, however it does seem that they have experienced more tragedy than anyone could have expected.

Potentially the largest award ever set down by the Employment Court! It's a shame that it has taken so long to get to this point, hopefully the matter will not be appealed and they can move on with their lives following this.

Guidance counsellors spent decade in legal battle with high school over workplace stress.

10/12/2023

Tough luck for this employer it seems! Restructuring processes can be complex and are certainly not to be rushed. We have a high standard here around process and making sure that everything is done correctly before someone is made redundant.

It sounds like this employer may have had a predetermined idea of what was going to happen, very unfortunate for these employees! It sounds as though the company was genuinely impacted by the pandemic but did not follow a proper process... what are your thoughts?

The Employment Court found Helloworld's consultation on a Covid-19 restructure was unfair and rushed and some dismissals were 'predetermined'.

07/12/2023

This employee has found himself in hot water due to allegations that he inappropriately accessed private patient records during his employment.

Once his criminal court matter is over, he will likely find that he will have some employment repercussions to follow. Breaches of confidentiality and improper conduct regarding personal information can put your employment in jeopardy and if he is found guilty of this crime, he will likely suffer the consequences.

What do you think? Let us know your thoughts 😊

Personal information of people was allegedly accessed from Te Whatu Ora databases, a charge against a worker says.

05/12/2023

Small update on the previous story posted here - it seems some traction has been made! While only a small sum of what is to come, this is a good first step. Breaches of minimum entitlements are no joke!

Te Whatu Ora has paid out almost a quarter of a billion dollars owed to staff for breaches of the Holidays Act.

03/12/2023

This is an interesting case regarding late pay - it seems Te Whatu Ora did not keep to an agreement made with the Nurse's Union for a pay increase and are now facing penalties at the Employment Relations Authority. Not to mention, the failure to stick to the agreement could provide grounds for the nurses to raise personal grievances and seek further compensation. Yikes!

Are you being underpaid currently? Concerned about your minimum entitlements? Give us a call 😊

The payroll woes for the health agency are compounded by fresh delays for its huge project trying to fix the two dozen fragmented payroll systems.

30/11/2023

Update on employment law's hottest case right now. The Judge has chosen to reserve their decision, this means that they will go away and consider the evidence further before making a final decision.

It will be interesting to see how this case is treated and whether any further steps were expected from the University to protect Dr Wiles from mental harm.

Are you experiencing unjustified disadvantage, or have you been dismissed? Get in touch today, we can help you!😁

Dr Siouxsie Wiles alleges her employer left her "vulnerable to mental and physical harm", as harassment against her escalated due to her public commentary on Covid-19. A judge has reserved her decision.

28/11/2023

Employment relationship problems can be stressful and unnerving for those involved. It is good to know what the process is for resolving problems and steps that you can take if you cannot work things out with your employer.

Community Law is often a good place to start and the link below provides some insight into the options you have moving forward to resolve the issue.

We can assist you at any stage of the process and advise in more detail what your options may be and whether a personal grievance is appropriate. If you need assistance with anything from unjustified disadvantage to unjustified dismissal, we can help! Give us a call today 😁

The legal process for dealing with employment problems First steps It’s a legal requirement that every employment agreement include a plain language explanation of the services available for resolving employment relationship problems (see the example below). If problems arise between you and…

27/11/2023

An interesting local case around wage theft! Remember that your wages are protected under the law and your employer cannot make deductions without discussing it with you and it has to be for legitimate reasons!

Concerned that you are not being paid properly? Need to raise a personal grievance? Give us a call, we can help!😊

Rangiora restaurant owner ordered to pay over $40,000 for wage theft & employment breaches