Employment Law Articles
Expert articles and practical legal guides on employment law for new zealand businesses.
Performance Management And Employee Termination (2026 Updated)
Managing people is one of the most rewarding parts of running a business - and, at times, one of the trickiest. When performance issues come up, it’s normal to feel stuck between...
6 January 2025
What Does the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) Say About Work Breaks? (2026 Updated)
When you’re running a small business, work breaks can feel like one of those “simple” topics that somehow turns into a headache the moment you’ve got a busy roster, a lean team,...
6 January 2025
What Are Redundancy Entitlements? (2026 Updated)
Redundancy is one of those business topics that can feel straightforward in theory (“we no longer need this role”), but complicated in practice once you’re dealing with people, process, and legal obligations....
6 January 2025
Sub-Contracting And Head Contracts: Here’s What You Need To Know (2026 Updated)
If you run a business that delivers work through other people (tradies, consultants, creatives, developers, labour hire teams, specialist subcontractors), sub-contracting can be a smart way to scale without hiring employees. But...
6 January 2025
What Is An Employment Separation Certificate? (2026 Updated)
If you’ve just had an employee leave your business (or you’re in the middle of ending someone’s employment), you might be asked for an Employment Separation Certificate - and if you haven’t...
6 January 2025
How Many Sick Days Do You Get A Year? (2026 Updated)
Whether you’re running a small business or you’ve just hired your first employee, sick leave is one of those topics that sounds simple until you’re the one dealing with an absence, payroll,...
6 January 2025
You Can’t Ask That! Illegal Questions In Interviews (2026 Updated)
Hiring your next team member can be exciting - but interviews can also be a legal minefield if you’re not careful. Most employers aren’t trying to do the wrong thing. The problem...
6 January 2025
Keeping Your Staff Safe: Domestic Violence and Working From Home (2026 Updated)
Working from home can be a genuine win for productivity and flexibility. But for some people, home isn’t the safest place to be. Domestic violence (sometimes called family violence) can escalate when...
6 January 2025
How Does Payment In Lieu Of Notice Work In New Zealand? (2026 Updated)
Ending an employment relationship is rarely straightforward. Even when both sides agree it’s time to move on, questions about the notice period, final pay, and whether the employee needs to work out...
6 January 2025
An Employer’s Guide To Leave Loading (2026 Updated)
“Leave loading” is one of those payroll terms that gets thrown around a lot - especially if you’ve hired staff who’ve previously worked in Australia, or you’ve inherited legacy employment documents with...
6 January 2025
Concerned About Competition From A Former Employee, Contractor Or Service Provider? A Non-Compete Agreement May Be The Solution (2026 Updated)
It’s a common (and very reasonable) worry: you invest time and money building up your customer base, refining your systems, and training people to deliver your service… and then someone leaves and...
6 January 2025
Working As A Contractor (2026 Updated)
Contracting can be a great way to work - you’ve usually got more flexibility, you can choose the projects you take on, and you can build a business around your skills. But...
6 January 2025
Confidentiality Clauses: What Are They & How Can You Enforce Them? (2026 Updated)
When you’re building a business, you’re inevitably going to share sensitive information with other people - employees, contractors, suppliers, investors, and even potential buyers. That’s exciting (it usually means you’re growing), but...
6 January 2025
Can Employees Be Forced To Take Annual Leave? (2026 Updated)
Annual leave sounds simple in theory: your employee takes time off, gets paid, and comes back refreshed. In real life, it can get messy fast - especially when business is quiet, you’re...
6 January 2025
What Is An Employer's Duty Of Care? (2026 Updated)
If you’re employing staff (or you’re about to hire your first team member), one question comes up fast: what exactly do you owe your employees, legally, when it comes to keeping them...
5 January 2025
What Are The Differences Between Casual And Part-Time Employees? (2026 Updated)
If you’re hiring your first team member (or trying to make your staffing more flexible), it’s normal to wonder whether you should bring someone on as a casual employee or a part-time...
5 January 2025
It Wasn’t Me, It Was My Employee: What You Need To Know About Employers’ Liability (2026 Updated)
It’s one of those stomach-drop moments as a business owner: you get a complaint, a demand letter, or an angry email, and the story starts with “your staff member said…” or “your...
5 January 2025
Criticising Your Boss On Social Media: What’s Legal? (2026 Updated)
Social media makes it easy to vent. A bad shift, a tough conversation with your manager, or a workplace change you didn’t see coming can all lead to that “I’m just going...
5 January 2025
Can Employees Be Forced To Take Annual Leave? (2026 Updated)
You’ve probably been here before: business is quiet, you’re trying to manage cashflow, or you’re shutting down over Christmas/New Year. Then you look at your payroll and see a few team members...
5 January 2025
Should You Download A Template Or Get A Lawyer? (2026 Updated)
You’re about to sign a contract, launch a website, hire your first employee, or bring on a business partner - and you’ve found a “free template” that looks pretty close to what...
5 January 2025
Do I Need To Pay My Staff A Minimum Rate If They Are Being Paid A Piece Rate? (2026 Updated)
Paying staff a “piece rate” (for example, $X per item packed, per car cleaned, per lawn mowed, per delivery completed, or per job finished) can feel like a win-win. Your business gets...
5 January 2025
Workplace Health and Safety: An Overview For Employers (2026 Updated)
When you’re running a business, it’s easy to focus on the exciting stuff - winning clients, hiring great people, and building something that lasts. But there’s one area you can’t afford to...
5 January 2025
Zombie Agreements: What Employers Need To Know (2026 Updated)
It’s easy to assume your employment paperwork is “sorted” once you’ve got something signed and filed away. But in practice, a lot of New Zealand businesses end up with what HR teams...
5 January 2025
Understanding Unfair Dismissal (2026 Updated)
Letting someone go is one of the hardest parts of running a business. Even if you’re confident you’ve got good reasons, an employee can still challenge the dismissal if the process wasn’t...
5 January 2025
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