Insights & Articles

Should we include a probationary period in the employment agreement? As per our previous article, "90 Day Trial Periods", if you have 20 or more employees you cannot include a trial period in an employment agreement, as an alternative, many employers choose to include a probationary period.

Should we include a trial period in the employment agreement? A trial period is a tool that can be used by employers to find out if an employee is suitable for a role. During the trial period, an employer can dismiss the employee and the employee cannot raise a personal grievance for unjustified dismissal, so long as the trial period is valid. Trial periods if used correctly, are a great tool for employers. However, trial periods are often challenged, so it is essential employers know when to use them and what is required.

On 29 March 2022, Parliament introduced the Fair Pay Agreement Bill ("the Bill") coined to the "biggest shakeup to workplaces in generation coming from government". The Bill has recently passed its first reading. Despite this, a number of people have expressed their reservations with the newly proposed system such as National Party's Paul Goldsmith stating that the Bill may make New Zealand less internationally competitive and add pressure to already stressed businesses.

New Zealand is now well and truly in the next stage of its strategy in responding to the Covid-19 global pandemic - learning to live with Covid-19, specifically the Omicron variant, in the community. This will see employers facing a number of new challenges, including the management of large numbers of absences in the workplace and coping with flexible working arrangements.

Last week the New Zealand Government, supported by Business New Zealand and the Council of Trade Unions ("NZCTU"), released a proposal on an income insurance scheme ("the scheme") – one of its biggest reforms since the introduction of ACC in the 1970s. McVeagh Fleming's employment team have summarised the 'need to know' information.

The Fair Trading Amendment Act 2021 - The Fair Trading Amendment Act 2021 ("Amendment Act") was enacted on 16 August 2021. It introduces changes to the Fair Trading Act 1986 ("Act"), some of which have come into effect and others which will come into effect on 16 August 2022.

Intellectual Property is an asset that has the potential to be more valuable to your business than tangible business assets and should be protected as much as possible. A famous trade mark or a market leading patent may be of far greater value to a company than its physical assets.

The Privacy Act 2020 ("new Act") came into force in 2020, replacing the Privacy Act 1993. The purpose of the new Act was to overhaul New Zealand's existing privacy of personal information regulatory framework and bring it into line with internationally recognised privacy obligations and standards. Section 22 of the new Act sets out 13 information privacy principles ("Privacy Principles"). In this article, we focus on new developments in relation to Privacy Principle 1 ("PP1"), which addresses the purpose of collection of personal information.

This article serves to inform the procedural and legal methods and issues related to debt recovery.

The Court of Appeal recently released a decision Metropolitan Glass & Glazing Limited v Labour Inspector Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment [2021] NZCA 560 reversing an earlier ruling of the Employment Court regarding short-term incentive payments under the Holidays Act 2003.

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government issued the Covid-19 Public Health Response (Isolation and Quarantine) Order 2020 ("IQ Order") in September 2020. Most kiwis are well aware of the IQ Order, and understood it to mean that if we leave New Zealand, we will be required to self-isolate at a managed isolation facility for 14 days upon our return (until the announcement last week confirming a shortening of the managed isolation period for residents returning to NZ after 14 November 2021).

The Government has moved very fast to make significant changes to the law around commercial leases. The proposed changes would allow all commercial tenants, including business owners of all sizes, whether or not they have suffered material financial losses, a rent reduction for the period of 'no access' to their premises as a result of the current Covid-19 lockdown.