Insights & Articles

There is an important update on the health and safety requirements in the construction sector we wish to share with you if you have not yet been updated. Over the last few weeks, the situation with Covid-19 in New Zealand has noticeably improved. However, it is too soon to celebrate, and there is no room for complacency as we will still be under Covid-19 Alert Level 2, starting this Thursday 14 May 2020. It will remain critical, perhaps more than ever, for everyone in the construction industry to take all necessary steps to keep the virus under control until we are down to Alert Level 1.

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 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force on 25 May 2018. Even though this is a European Union regulation, it potentially has significant implications for New Zealand businesses. Technology has enabled New Zealand businesses to operate on a truly global scale and businesses collect, process and use data from all corners of the world.

During this unprecedented and unsettling time, there is an opportunity here to take advantage of the phone calls and emails slowing down (for some) and use your time to address those things you have been putting off – a bit like that painting job most people have been meaning to get to.

The Covid-19 pandemic and the announcement of the Level 4 Covid-19 threat level in New Zealand has meant that many businesses may be forced to default on their commercial obligations, especially as non-essential businesses are told to close. However if their contracts contain a "force majeure" provision, this may provide them with a way out.

From 6 May 2019 employers who have failed to record their individual employment agreements in writing will be liable for an infringement offence under the Employment Relations (Infringement Offences) Regulations 2019.

Stocking up on food items, school, restaurant, cinema and non-essential business closures, and plenty of hand-sanitising. The Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and the Government’s measures to flatten the curve are affecting our behaviour, and our relationships. Staying at home with our families during this period of nationwide self-isolation can cause issues to arise.

In response to the Covid-19 outbreak the Government has announced a $12.1 billion support package to support the economy. If you are an employer, contractor, sole-trader or self-employed, you may be eligible to apply for financial support.

The Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs has released the content of a new Code of Professional Conduct for Financial Advice Services that should come into effect in mid-2020. The Code will require those persons who provide regulated financial advice to retail clients to meet certain standards of professional conduct, and will follow the commencement of the Financial Services Legislation Amendment Act 2019 ("FSLA").

Amidst the Covid-19 lockdowns initiated by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday 23 March 2020, many Kiwis are feeling stressed and uncertain about their current situation. When issues arise, especially at an unprecedented time like this, it’s often best to talk them out and work together to find positive solutions. If parenting, child welfare and other family issues arise that you need to discuss, we are here to assist.

Due to the recent presence of the highly contagious Covid-19 Delta variant within communities throughout New Zealand, the country has been placed into an Alert Level 4 Lockdown. The stringent lockdown restrictions may have implications for parents who have shared care arrangements, Parenting Orders, or who are involved in Family Court proceedings. This can create an added level of stress and anxiety as parents try to navigate both lockdown rules and day-to-day care of their children.

The Property Law Act 2007 ("PLA") codifies – very strictly – the process and means by which a commercial tenant may be evicted for non-payment of rentor some other breach of its lease obligations. Whether you are the landlord or the tenant,it is critical you understand your rights and obligationsin an eviction scenario.