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If you need a little more support, book some time with our consultants. This is perfect for services like: one on one coaching / running disciplinaries / carrying out redundancies / recruitment support / responding to personal grievances.

A full audit and recommendations to increase your business' HR processes and good practice.

#EmployerGuide In New Zealand, MBIE provides free mediation offers a powerful tool for resolving such conflicts amicably and efficiently, helping to maintain positive working relationships and avoid costly legal battles. In this blog, we'll explore the benefits of mediation in New Zealand and how employers can effectively navigate the mediation process. Mediation is: voluntary (in the first instance) confidential facilitated by an impartial third party mediator free through MBIE It focuses on finding mutually acceptable solutions rather than determining fault or assigning blame. This collaborative approach encourages open communication and allows parties to retain control over the outcome of the dispute. Key to a good mediation outcome: Approach mediation with a genuine willingness to resolve the dispute and collaborate towards a mutually beneficial solution Gather relevant documents, evidence, and information to support your position and facilitate productive discussions during the mediation session. Listen to the concerns and perspectives of the other party with an open mind. Try not to approach it from an emotional point of view Remain flexible and open to compromise, considering alternative solutions that meet the underlying interests of both parties rather than rigidly adhering to specific demands. Shift the focus from past grievances to future-oriented solutions that promote positive changes and prevent similar disputes from arising in the future. Mediation offers employers in New Zealand a valuable opportunity to resolve employment disputes in a constructive and collaborative manner, facilitated by an impartial mediator. It is voluntary but it can be pragmatic to agree, rather than forcing the applicant to file in the Authority and drag the issue out for much longer. Benefits of agreeing to voluntary mediation Cost-Effectiveness: Agreeing to voluntary mediation means less legal costs Preserving Relationships: Voluntary mediation occurs quicker, allowing resolution to occur sooner

#yourquestionsanswered How should an employer go about employing and dismissing people on a 90 day trial? With the new government's changes to legislation, 90 Day Trials aren't just for employers with less than 20 employees. Anyone can use them, but its important to make sure you do it right to reduce the risk of an unfair dismissal claim! Before employment: Ensure that your employment agreement has a robust 90 Day Trial clause in it. Give them their employment agreement (with the 90 day trial clause in it) at least three working days before they commence work. Ensure that the employee signs and returns their contract the day before commencing work During employment: Monitor their progress/fit within the role and the business. If you have concerns or think you might want to terminate them, do not leave it to the last minute! Before dismissing your employee under a 90 day trial: If you're considering termination, make sure that you are still within the 90 day period Organise a meeting with the employee to provide them with the notice of termination of their employment. Note: failure to provide the correct notice could give them grounds to raise a grievance. Be sensitive to the fact that this may be a stressful situation. Don't get caught out by not following a good process! Just because there is legislation that allows for dismissal under a 90 day trial, doesn't mean that there aren't common pitfalls that employers fall into and that cost them dearly. This is especially painful to see when it was a terrible employee that could have been fired for many other reasons, like in this case: "A man whose employer cited 13 instances of poor conduct when he was dismissed has been awarded more than $27,000 after the Employment Relations Authority ruled there was insufficient evidence, and he had been unjustifiably dismissed." Golden rule with 90 day trials: Don't rush and have a good checklist (like ours!) to ensure you get it right.

#yourquestionsanswered What does it mean to put an employee on gardening leave, and do they have to agree? Garden leave is when an employee retains their employment, receives full pay but does not report to work. Both the employer and the employee need to agree to this. This makes it different from being suspended on full pay. If an employee is suspended, their agreement to suspension does not have to be asked for. Wanting to put an employee on garden leave? Check whether this is an option in their employment agreement. If not, you should take advice around the risks associated with this in your specific circumstances. When could you consider garden leave: for an employee's notice period to help them search for another job for an employee's to reduce distraction for other workers to cover their restraint period Other potential, although less common, situations might be: if a permanent employee has no work to do However, we'd recommend getting advice before doing this! What are your obligations to your employee if they are on garden leave: All the terms and conditions of the employment agreement still apply, as the employee is still employed. If you have any questions, queries or concerns, don’t be afraid to get in touch for some more free advice.

Employer support: Its what we do We take the headache out of HR, by providing small business owners affordable, easy-to-access resources and expert support to reduce the risk of employment issues, improve productivity and increase profitability. And all this without charging you a fortune! And if you need it, we have expert consultants on hand to ensure the best outcome in any sticky situation. COVID-19 FAQs HIRING FAQs EMPLOYER HELP FAQs EMPLOYER'S RIGHTS FAQs DISCIPLINARIES & DISMISSALS FAQs SUPPORT We believe that good HR should: Tailor solutions to your business and your needs Not cost an arm and a leg. No hidden costs here! Deliver what it promises and be there when you need it Be honest and pragmatic. You need to know if there could be issues! If this sounds like something your business would benefit from, then you should give us a call or book in a time for a no strings attached consultation. You've got nothing to lose and we guarantee you'll take away at least something to ponder! Call now Enquire Did someone say... FREE?! Because we believe that good HR shouldn't cost an arm and a leg, we're sharing some of our best resources for navigating the complexities of human resources and employment law with you... for free! Show me! Six very good reasons to team up with Employer Direct: ON DEMAND SUPPORT TRAINING & GUIDANCE EXPERT CONSULTANTS NO HIDDEN COSTS 50+ DOCUMENTS IN OUR LIBRARY TOOLS TO PREVENT ISSUES We know what we're doing and our clients agree! Honey & Royal Jelly Exporter Auckland, New Zealand "I'm so glad I didn't try handle it myself. You delivered on everything you promised."

About us Getting employment law right can be tough Dealing with HR and employment law can be time consuming, scary and stressful. Every day well-meaning employers are pinged with expensive personal grievances for even small mistakes. This unfortunate reality distracts employers from doing what they do best, and the worry of getting things wrong impacts their well-being. Compounding on this issue is how expensive it is getting good advice. While lawyers can be of use they are prohibitively expensive, and legal bills rack up fast. Further, while industry associations have some resources to help, more often than not their offerings on employment law and human resource matters are thin. Our team of deeply experienced employment consultants saw an opportunity to address this in New Zealand. We want employment law to work for small businesses again and this is why we founded Employer Direct. $150 million each year is estimated to be spent by New Zealand business defending employment disputes! Why us? Because we're just like you! Between us, the team at Employer Direct have decades of experience in employment law, human resources, finance and business management in New Zealand. We know the struggles of running businesses because we've done it too. We take the stress out of employment and HR by providing you with: easy to use templates personalised guidance for your business documents on demand training, advice and support And all for a fraction of the cost of our competitors. Why? Simply because we want employers to have the tools they need to flourish! ​ Founders, Paul Mathews and Sam Walker, have considerable employment law experience and have seen first-hand the issues arising from poor HR practices for both employees and employers. They know the HR problems employers can be confronted with, and through Employer Direct are committed to protecting businesses from potential issues and litigation. They guarantee employers will feel supported and confident that their business interests are being protected. Why us How we can help you? Unlimited access to the Employer Direct document library Custom templates on demand within three working days Unlimited access to email support from our employment experts 20% discount on all consulting services Unlimited access to our support helpline Experts who care you'll deal with real people who want you to succeed How do we compare to other support? Industry Association HR consultant In-house HR Employment lawyer Cost effective pricing? Dedicated helpline? Employment law focus? Experience as an employer?

Covid-19 & Employment Frequently asked questions Where can I apply for the Covid-19 government support? Apply for the Wage Subsidy here. Apply for Covid-19 leave support scheme here. Apply for the Short term leave payment here How do I know if I qualify for Covid-19 government support? Review this declaration. This is what you are agreeing to when you apply for the Wage Subsidy or similar. Note, this has been updated since it was originally brought out in March 2020. Can I reduce my employees’ pay during lockdowns? Whether you are open or not, you cannot reduce an employee's pay without their agreement, if they are available to work. This includes by reducing their hours of work. Without this you should pay them as usual. Can I ask them to use holiday pay or go on unpaid leave instead? You cannot force them without their agreement. You can direct them to take annual leave but only with 14 days written notice (if they have significant leave owing). Can I shut down my businesses for a short time instead so that employees have to use holiday pay? Not really. If you were to do this, you would need to give at least 14 days notice of the start date and provide a concrete end date. This cannot be indefinite or an unreasonable amount of time. It also could be seen as unfair given that employees could not predict this happening and therefore may have no annual leave entitlements. Do I have to pay them if they need a Covid Test or are unable to work due to health concerns? Yes. This may look like sick pay or you can apply for government support under the Short Term Leave Payment or the Covid-19 leave Support Scheme Can I make my employees wear masks or get vaccinated? You can make an employee wear a mask if either the government mandates it, and or you have a policy around this and it is reasonable. You can potentially ask employees to have a vaccination but most businesses will at least need to have a policy and risk assessment of their role’s risk before doing so. Do I still have to make kiwisaver contributions, accrue their holiday pay and pay their PAYE? Yes. You are legally required to do so. General FAQs Request support Covid Documents

A good employment relationship is not simply about ticking boxes. The law recognises the importance of how both parties act in an employment relationship. This module is designed to give you a good grounding in what this looks like including acting in good faith, remaining communicative and what it means to be a reasonable employer in the eyes of the law. After you complete each part of this module, your knowledge will be assessed through a series of questions. At the end of this module you should be able to confidently do these things with assistance from the Employer Direct document library.