Newsletter

lastest news in employment law

March Newsletter 2021


Published 17 Mar 2021
This Issue

Leave Without Pay

A common misconception is that it's an employee's right to take leave without pay or at least the employer should always grant it when asked. This is not the case....full story

Current Wage Subsidy Options

It has been a year since the first wage subsidy was released. And the common theme with most things COVID-19 related, grossly underestimated. Read on for a current short list of all subsidies and payments available for Employers...full story

Employers Toolbox update - eSignatures

A new feature on the Employers Toolbox eSigning platform has just been rolled out which allows users to tie eSignatures to their login....full story

Minimum wage rise

True to their word the Labour Government are raising the minimum adult wage in NZ by nearly another 6% as from Thursday April 1st 2021 to $20 per hour gross.

As usual, the Starting Out and Training wage rates increase accordingly as they are always 80% of the adult minimum ie. $16 p/h

This reflects a 27% raise in the minimum rate since coming to govern late in 2017. For the Employer, apart from the problem of funding more costs from the currently reduced markets, another challenge is justifying to staff who currently earn higher than the minimum wage now of course being closer to earning the minimum legal wage. Not the easiest of conversations, there is however no legal obligation to raise wages across the board respectively unless you have agreed to do so in your Employment Agreements.

For more information on the minimum wage and it's application please see here: www.employers.co.nz/minimum-wage-new-zealand.aspx

Daylight Savings End April 4th 2021

Clocks go back
Daylight Saving ends on Sunday 4th April 2021 at 3.00am clocks are put back one hour to 2.00am.

As is the norm, any employees working at this point will work an additional hour and must be paid for that of course.