Lisa Mackay - HRtoolkit

Positive employment forecast

Posted on 29 May 2017 - 10:24 am by Lisa Mackay

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has released a report looking ahead at the employment outlook to 2025.

The report estimates that employment will grow by 1.9 per cent annually, adding an estimated 48,000 workers on average per annum to the workforce over the next 10 years.

Amapola Generosa, from the MBIE says demand for highly-skilled workers will be the strongest over the medium to long-term.“The forecast modelling shows that highly skilled jobs will grow by 2.5 per cent, or 27,400, annually until 2025. This growth will strongest for ICT managers, systems analysts and programmers, and marketing professionals,” says Ms Generosa who also adds that “The construction and utilities industry is forecast to show the strongest gain in employment and will add around 6,800 workers per year in the ten years to 2025”.

For more information, check out the MBIE labour market analysis.

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Parental leave law changes come into effect on 1 June

Posted on 1 June 2017 - 12:21 pm by Lisa Mackay

Some changes to parental leave take effect this week, including:

Parents of a preterm baby now have more flexibility around returning to work and parental leave payments
Employees can now use their paid leave (annual leave, alternative days, special leave or time off in lieu) before their parental leave period begins

If you have any questions about these, and other changes to parental leave, give our experts a call on 0800HRtoolkit (0800 47 86 65)

An Auckland courier has been fined $63k for breaching migrant workers rights

Posted on 14 June 2017 - 9:22 am by Lisa Mackay

Last month, The Employment Relations Authority ordered DK Transport Ltd to pay a penalty for 58 breaches of minimum employment standards including failing to pay the minimum wage, failing to provide written employment agreements, deducting wages without written consent, withholding wages for public holidays and failing to keep accurate records.

David Milne from the Labour Inspectorate said “All employers must meet minimum employment standards, it doesn’t matter whether you have 1,000 employees or five.”

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The Warehouse group has introduced 10 days of paid leave for victims of family violence

Posted on 19 June 2017 - 9:23 am by Lisa Mackay

Law changes are being considered after six Government agencies, alongside The Warehouse Group, have offered extra paid leave for victims of family violence.

Justice Minister Amy Adams released a summary of nearly 500 detailed submissions on calls for employment law to be altered to introduce specific domestic violence leave.

In one submission, Poto Williams (Labour’s associate justice spokeswoman) said “A woman who is escaping violence is not sick, this is completely another issue. And it allows for an employer to recognise the situation that someone finds themselves in, and gives the employer an opportunity to support the person.”

If you have any questions about this, and other proposed changes to employment law, give our experts a call on 0800HRtoolkit (0800 47 86 65)

How to assist migrants with immigration

Posted on 23 June 2017 - 9:25 am by Lisa Mackay

Employment New Zealand has written some advice on the do’s and don’ts of assisting migrant workers with immigration concerns. Employers and recruiters who are not licensed or exempt can’t:

Advise a person on what NZ visa they are best to apply for or qualify for
Advise a person on how best to answer a question in an NZ visa application form
Represent a person to Immigration NZ

To find out what you can do to help migrant workers, give our experts a call on 0800HRtoolkit (0800 47 86 65)

A vineyard labour contractor has been fined $73k for breaching employment law

Posted on 28 June 2017 - 9:26 am by Lisa Mackay

Last month, Precise Contracting Ltd was found guilty of failing to pay 83 employees a minimum wage, correct holiday pay or keeping proper records. This included regularly altering timesheet and regularly failing to pay an employee’s last weeks wages.

Kevin Finnegan from the Labour Inspectorate said “Just because you find employees leaving your business frustrating does not entitle you to penalise them by withholding their last pay.” he went on to say “New Zealand has a reputation as a fair and equitable country, and it’s important that this is maintained.”

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BBS Horticulture Ltd has been fined over $58k

Posted on 6 July 2017 - 9:09 am by Lisa Mackay

A labour hire company working on asparagus farms in the Waikato must pay over $58,000 after being caught twice by the Labour Inspectorate failing to keep employment records.

The company has a history of non-compliance, with the Inspectorate first visiting BBS in November 2013 and discovering many employees were working in breach of their visa conditions and without records of employment. When the Inspectorate conducted a follow-up audit in late 2015 and again in 2016, it was revealed BBS had disregarded their obligations and reverted back to non-compliant practices.

In addition to the $58,818.02 in penalties and arrears, BBS Horticulture Ltd is now on a 24 month stand-down period restricting their access to migrant labour.

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Bullied kindergarten teacher awarded $100k

Posted on 14 July 2017 - 9:16 am by Lisa Mackay

This ruling sends a clear message to all employers that they need to provide safe work environments free from intimidation.

Allan Halse, teacher’s advocate and director of CultureSafe New Zealand, said it was an unprecedented payout, at four times the usual sum awarded by the Employment Relations Court. As this particular case involves bullying by a manager, all workplaces need to have a clear bullying and harassment policy which outlines courses of action that employees can takeif they are feeling threatened, undermined, harassed or intimidated in the workplace by a colleague or a manager.

All staff and especially senior management should be promoting and contributing to providing a safe and healthy work environment – it’s good for morale and proven to be good for workplace productivity.

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Labour’s employment policy promises living wage

Posted on 18 July 2017 - 9:19 am by Lisa Mackay

As part of it’s workplace relations package, the Labour Party has promised a living wage of $16.50 an hour for the public service, with the minimum wage rising to two-thirds of the average wage over time. They also want to introduce trial periods that include better options for employees to act if they feel their dismissal is unjustified, ‘fair pay agreements’ and will double the number of labour inspectors.

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$500m pay rise for care workers

Posted on 21 July 2017 - 9:24 am by Lisa Mackay

A historic pay deal for thousands of low-income workers has been signed after a landmark ruling on equal pay earlier this year. The deal will affect about 55,000 mainly women staff in government-funded sectors involving aged care, home support and disability services with some people seeing a pay rise from $16 to $23 an hour.

Jan Logie from the Green Party commented “Women have been consciously underpaid and have been fighting for more pay for fare too long. Today’s announcement is long overdue.”