We are truly blessed to live in the Land of the Long White Cloud. This beautiful country of ours is, however, also the land of water. Wherever you are, you are never far from water. We are world-famous for our stunning waterways – our lakes, rivers and beaches. But, it's also important to always remember that water can be dangerous and unpredictable. Read more…

Avoid common mistakes when employing summer staff

With summer fast approaching, many businesses will be hiring temporary staff to meet their needs over the busy summer months. Taking on temporary staff can throw up some tricky issues. Employers often are uncertain about what employment agreement is appropriate for temporary staff and how their holiday entitlements should be met. We explore the pros and cons of different kinds of agreements for temporary employees and provide guidance on their annual leave and holiday pay entitlements.  Read more…

Employing staff is never a simple process. Finding people with the right skills and personality to fit into your team can be challenging. Today's employers go through a rigorous process when recruiting; most believe it's better to put time into getting the right person than to have to deal with the consequences if things don't work out. 

One aspect of all staff recruitment is background checks on applicants. This is more important in some roles than others.  Read more…

Restraint of trade clauses are common in the sale and purchase of a business and in some employment agreements. In a business context, they offer protection to a buyer who has acquired a business and prevent the seller from directly competing against the buyer. A restraint provision in an employment context is designed to protect the employer's business interests when key employees leave. There's a general perception that these clauses are difficult to enforce, so why bother?  Read more…

Innovation has seen a number of plant-based meat alternatives grow in popularity. These plant-based products often use terms such as 'milk, 'patty' or 'steak' to label their products. European authorities are currently looking at whether such terms should be restricted to use with animal-based products only. There is a similar movement in Australia to prevent almond and soy-based products being labelled as 'milk'.

Here in New Zealand, Federated Farmers has indicated that it may push the government to follow suit, depending on the success of similar movements overseas.  Read more…

The Regulations will require all practitioners to obtain a licence and meet minimum standards as set out by the Registrar of Companies. Those who are already accredited under CAANZ or RITANZ will be provisionally considered 'Licensed Practitioners' when the licensing regime comes into force by June 2020. All practitioners will then have until October 2020 to apply for a licence from an accredited body.  Read more…