Employment Law in New Zealand is governed by the Employment Relations Act 2000. The Employment Relations Authority and the Employment Court are governed under the Act and the Regulations thereof.
Employer/Employee relationships are to some extent regulated by the Act, particularly when they involve the negotiation of terms and disputes. The general law relating to Master/Servant is however the overriding and dominant guide to how various situations should be dealt with. There are many previous cases which to a lesser or greater degree will have an impact. It is vital that advice is received at an early stage. This is especially important where a redundancy or other form of dismissal is being contemplated.
It is now mandatory to have an Employment Contract with every employee and the penalties for failing to have a contract can be harsh. The negotiation of the contractual terms must be carried out in good faith and both parties must be in a free bargaining position.
At Citylaw we do not consider ourselves to be Employment Law specialists. We do however have extensive Employment Law experience over many years and can give very good immediate advice on disputes and negotiations. We are also able to draft and put in place contracts which comply with the law. When it comes to protracted disputes which are likely to go beyond the mediation process we are able to refer clients on to Employment Law specialists at that stage.
Our philosophy with Employment Law is that the vast majority of matters should be able to be resolved with our assistance and advice. We will endeavour to the best of our ability to ensure a result which enables all parties to walk away feeling absolved and empowered. That is a promise.
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