Employment + Human Resource

In the current challenging market, many businesses are confronting difficult decisions aimed at improving viability and operational efficiency. Restructuring has long been treated primarily as an employment law and industrial relations exercise focused on consultation, redundancy justification, and procedural fairness. However, recent developments both in New Zealand and Australia make it clear that this is no longer sufficient. Psychosocial risk management is now firmly part of the legal and practical framework governing workplace change.

A recent Court of Appeal decision has provided clear direction to employers dealing with employment contract (pay-related) disputes.

New Zealand’s workplace safety landscape is set for its most significant change in a decade, following the introduction of the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill to Parliament in February 2026.

Hybrid or flexible work has become part of everyday life for many businesses as people look for ways to balance productivity with wellbeing, commuting time, and family responsibilities. However, there is a growing tension between what organisations say they value and what they actually reward.

The landmark Supreme Court ruling in Raiser Operations BV v E Tu Incorporated has upended assumptions about what it means to be an independent contractor in the gig economy, confirming that four Uber drivers are in fact employees.

Psychological safety should be a birthright - something every person is entitled to, simply by being human. We should expect to feel safe, respected, and valued in every part of our lives, including at work.

Successive Governments have foreshadowed reforms to the Holidays Act 2003 as the Act has become increasing out-of-touch with modern and non-traditional work arrangements. The Workplace Relations and Safety Minister has announced the Government will introduce a new Act: Employment Leave Act next year.

A raft of significant changes to New Zealand’s employment law have already been passed into law in 2025 and more are on the way. In this update we outline the changes and how they affect employers and employees.

The question of whether a worker is an employee, or an independent contractor is notoriously difficult. What the worker’s contract says is only one factor in the law deciding how to categorise that person.

The New Zealand Government has just made a significant announcement on the COVID-19 rules and vaccine mandates. Here is what you need to know.

2021 has been a busy year with amendments and development in many different areas of the law. We take this opportunity to reflect on some key legal highlights from this year.

An update on the COVID-19 Response (Vaccinations) Legislation Act. While there is still quite a lot of uncertainty, we set out some answers to immediate questions based on what we know at this stage.