This article details a couple of recent employment law changes that should be taken into account in your agreements and provides a link to a full list of all mandatory information that must be included in an agreement. Proposed employment law changes that may impact your business are also outlined.
The scope of 90 day trials has once again been widened to include all businesses, rather than just businesses with fewer than 20 employees. If you employ 20 or more people and you want to use a trial period, now’s the time to update your agreement with a trial period clause.
There are still certain conditions that apply to the use of trial periods. In summary:
The timeframe for bringing a personal grievance relating to sexual harassment is now 12 months (from 13 June 2023). The timeframe for all other personal grievances remains at 90 days. These timeframes must be specified in an employment agreement.
Clcik here for a full list of what you need to include in an employment agreement.
The following bills are under consideration. Keep an eye out for the outcomes of these Bills so that you can address any changes you might need to make to your terms of employment and/or employment agreements.
Employment Relations (Restraint of Trade) Amendment Bill
The Bill proposes limiting the use of restraints of trade, including the following changes:
Employment Relations (Protection for KiwiSaver Members) Amendment Bill
This Bill proposes prohibiting employers from using a “total remuneration” clause which effectively allows the employer to deduct the employer’s compulsory Kiwisaver contribution from the employee’s pay.
Posted: Tuesday 9 January 2024