Stronger employment standards

Tougher sanctions Increased tools for Inspectors

 

Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse has announced a package of measures to strengthen enforcement of minimum employment standards. “Employers are the backbone of our economy and most do a great job in meeting their employment obligations, but there are a number of serious breaches occurring,” Mr Woodhouse says. “Those who breach minimum employment standards have an unfair advantage over law abiding employers and it is unfair on employees who work hard to support their families.

“Stronger sanctions for serious breaches will send the message that this type of conduct is unacceptable. The package targets the worst transgressions of employers without imposing unnecessary compliance costs on employers in general.”

Key changes include tougher sanctions, increased tools for labour inspectors and clearer record keeping requirements.

“The changes mean a more robust employment standards system where all businesses are operating on a level playing field. This is essential for business growth and means any anti-competitive behaviour that occurs when employers breach minimum employment standards is detected and sanctioned. “The Government is particularly concerned about the exploitation of our most vulnerable workers such as migrant workers.
 

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Employment News

H&S impact in Australia | Minimum Wage | Refugee's

A first legal charge against a manager over the death of a worker under new occupational health and safety (OH&S) legislation in Australia has significant implications for New Zealand, says EMA's manager of employment relations and safety, Paul Jarvie. New Zealand's proposed Health and Safety at Work Act is closely modelled on Australia's legislation and is intended to come into force in New Zealand sometime in 2015. 

The Australian Capital Territory recently became the first jurisdiction to charge an ‘officer' under newly harmonised workplace health and safety legislation. A senior manager faces two charges for allegedly failing to exercise due diligence to ensure that the company complied with its workplace health and safety duties. The charges follow a workplace incident that resulted in the death of a 48 year old truck driver, Michael Booth. Mr Booth died from electric shock injuries sustained while he was operating a tip truck when the trailer made contact with a power line while off-loading gravel at a dumping station.

The senior manager has pleaded not guilty to the charges, and the preliminary question to be determined at a hearing in December is whether the senior manager is indeed an ‘officer'. It appears that the senior manager was not a director of the PCBU but is a director of a related entity, says Mr Jarvie. Under our proposed Health and Safety at Work Act, there is a similar personal due diligence duty on officers to actively manage workplace health and safety and ensure that the ‘person conducting a business or undertaking' (a PCBU) complies with its health and safety obligations. 

From Wednesday 1st April 2015, the minimum wage increases from $14.25 to $14.75 per hour. The starting out and training hourly minimum rates will increase by 40 cents to $11.80, as this is set at 80% of the adult minimum wage.  "While annual inflation is at 0.8%, the minimum wage is increasing by 3.5% which benefits 115,100 workers and increases wages in the economy by $60 million per year", said the Minister.

Our Candidate Coordinator Laura Turner is undertaking a 7 week course with the NZ Red Cross, to assist refugee families arriving in New Zealand to start a new life. Although many things are provided to assist them, we are collecting blankets, sheets, pillowcases, knives, forks, toasters, pots & pans, crockery.....anything that you can think of that a family might need. If you have something you need to get rid of, call us and we will come and pick it up. We are happy to collect items or have them dropped at our office.

Have a great Easter break. You can contact us over the long weekend on our tollfree number or direct to your usual recruitment consultant.

Andrew, Mandi, Derek, Barbara, Laura and Eva | Kerri and Gemma in Waikato