Wage Theft Now a Crime: Key Changes for NZ Employers
The Crimes (Theft by Employer) Amendment Act 2025 came into force on 14 March 2025. This amendment allows for employers to be criminally prosecuted if it is established that they intentionally withheld wages, salaries or other monetary entitlements (such ...
Jun 23, 2025
Closedown periods annual leave and working on a public holiday | Gibson Sheat Lawyers | Conor Lennon, Lower Hutt
Closedown Periods, Annual Leave and Working on a Public Holiday. What You Need to Know Before This Holiday Season Some of the most commonly asked questions by our clients in the leadup to the annual summer holiday season are: My company has an annual ...
Nov 30, 2023
Can employees be stopped from taking on a second job? | Employment Law | Gibson Sheat Lawyers Wellington
Can employees be stopped from taking on a second job? In New Zealand, employees have the right to work for other employers, even if they are already employed full-time. To prevent this, employers can include terms in their employment agreements that ...
Apr 12, 2023
Employment Law
The Fair Pay Agreements Bill (“the Bill”) provides a framework for employee unions and employer representatives of a specific industry or occupation to bargain fair pay agreements (“FPAs”). FPAs are intended to set out base minimum wage rates, normal ...
May 24, 2022
Vaccine Mandates - the High Court decision on NZDF & Police
Yardley v Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety – understanding the decision declaring the government’s NZDF and Police vaccination mandates unlawful. Note - 23 March 2022: The Government has significantly loosened Covid-19 rules, removing vaccine ...
Mar 21, 2022
Employment: Trial vs. probationary periods - what is the difference?
Trial and probationary periods look very similar and are used for similar reasons but they are fundamentally different. Probationary periods Section 67 of the Employment Relations Act 2000 (“the Act”) provides that a probationary period must be specified ...
Nov 24, 2021
Case Study: Minimum wage impacts on workers in lockdown
At times it feels like a distant memory, but for some people, the battle over lost wages from Covid-19 lockdowns has continued long after the country felt it was getting back to normal…the first time. One such case came about during New Zealand’s first ...
Nov 15, 2021
No Jab, No Job?
Updated 24 August 2021 With the arrival of the covid-19 vaccine into New Zealand, some employers are asking whether they can require employees to be vaccinated. We’ve put together some helpful questions and answers about the vaccine and employment ...
Aug 23, 2021
Sick Leave New Zealand
Whether you’re an employee or an employer, many people have had a time when they have needed sick leave. While most incidences of sick leave are by the book, there are some times that issues can arise. The commonly recurring sick leave issues that ...
Jun 15, 2021
Employment agreement essentials
An employment agreement is an essential document between the employer and the employee. They set up the fundamental terms and conditions of the employment relationship. Employers need to ensure they get the agreements right. All employment agreements ...
Mar 30, 2021
Covert recordings by employees
In this age of smartphones, practically everyone has a recording device in their pocket. As an employer, have you ever wondered where you stand with regard to a recording made by an employee without your knowledge? Would such a recording be admissible in ...
Jul 30, 2019