Insight / Employment New year, new law – employment relations amendment bill passes parliament The Employment Relations Amendment Bill passed its third and final reading in Parliament on 17 February 2026, and will become law upon Royal Assent being received, which is anticipated in the coming days. Read more
Insight / Employment Government announces significant changes to Holidays Act The long-awaited announcement from the government about its review of the Holidays Act 2003 (the Act) has now been made. The existing Act is to be replaced with a new Employment Leave Act (the new Act), which will make significant changes to how leave is accrued and paid. Read more
Insight / Employment To investigate or not to investigate: Triaging employee complaints Often it can be difficult for an employer to know how to respond when they receive a complaint from an employee, including whether or not they should be commencing a formal investigation. Read more
Insight / Employment When is it appropriate to suspend an employee from work? As a general principle, an employee can only be suspended from work if there is some contractual or statutory justification for doing so. There are exceptions to this - for example, where serious health and safety concerns exist. In deciding whether to suspend an employee, an employer must follow the rules of natural justice including consulting with the employee. Only in rare circumstances would it be justified to suspend an employee without complying with the rules of natural justice. Read more
Insight / Employment Caught on camera: the rise of recorded work conversations Employees may be asked to attend a meeting with their employer at any time. The meeting might be about performance, conduct, or some other matter or incident they are involved in or have been asked to respond to. The need to maintain a record of such employment meetings is well-understood. In this article, we examine the response to rising legal disputes and concerns over the transparency and fairness of recording workplace meetings, investigations, and interactions. Read more
Insight / Employment Balancing family and business: employment issues in family businesses Recent case law highlights the difficulties which can come from informal familial arrangements, and why having a soundly constructed agreement is important even when doing work for a close and trusted relative. Read more
