We are swimming in digital conversations. Whether they be over text messages, instant messages, email messages, Facebook messages. They are part of our daily habits and routines. And we expect those means of communication to be accessible to us everywhere we go. Even at work. And that is where the
Getting paid to sleep? It seems too good to be true. But it’s no joke. Depending on where you sleep, and whether you have obligations as part of being at that place while you sleep, you may well be working while catching your z’s. How can sleeping be work? It
Record numbers of people are immigrating to New Zealand. If you run a business that is in constant need of more staff, that is great news for you. But when hiring for vacant roles, you must be careful to observe the laws about who can and cannot work here. In
“We’re restructuring.” It’s a phrase that you dread to hear as an employee. Its code for “You’re redundant”, you may think. You may have the unfortunate privilege of hearing that announcement several times during your career – perhaps even with the same employer. While it can be disconcerting to be
Meetings that are held to discuss whether or not an employee has misbehaved can be tense. The employee, on the one hand, is keen to avoid losing their job or facing any other disciplinary action. On the other hand, just as often, the employer is keen not to put a
None of us are perfect. We all know that. The trick is knowing where our imperfections lie. They can be difficult to see, unless someone else shows us. If your employees are unaware of their shortcomings, that can cause you deep distress. You may seethe at their failures. They may
Employment relationships are always changing. Whether it’s due to new laws, new duties, new pay, new direct reports, new hours, a new location… The list goes on. So why have you not updated your employment agreements for your staff? As you might imagine, as a lawyer, I like things to
If you have ever bought or sold a house, you know the importance of vendor warranties. They give comfort to the buyer that the seller has disclosed any important issues related to the house. If it later turns out they have not, the buyer can bring a claim on the
Successful employment relationships demand a degree of transparency. In essence, that is what the duty of good faith is all about. But there is some information about ourselves that we prefer to keep private. And there may be some information that you certainly do not want your employer to know
Holidays are good for business. Studies have shown that when staff are refreshed with regular breaks away from work, their overall productivity increases. But juggling which employees should take their holidays, and when they may take them, can be a headache. Worse, some staff seem to revel in hoarding their
