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Employment

Employers in New Zealand have a robust legal framework to comply with to meet their obligations to employees through the Employment Relations Act and other legislation relating to employees (Health and Safety at Work Act, Holidays Act, Privacy Act, and Human Rights Act). Our employment team works with our clients to help them understand their rights and how to best meet their responsibilities and duties.

Our employment lawyers are skilled at assisting our clients with all routine employment-related processes and when required can participate and support clients in disciplinary meetings and investigation meetings.

In contentious situations, our team can skillfully guide our clients through the mediation process and provide advocacy in the Employment Relations Authority, Employment Court and higher Courts where necessary.

Our employment team provides clients with advice on all contentious and non-contentious aspects of New Zealand employment law, including:

  • Drafting employment agreements and policies.
  • Employment issues, including performance management, workplace health and safety, harassment and misconduct
  • Intellectual property, confidential information and restraints of trade
  • Industrial relations and collective bargaining
  • Personal grievance claims and other employment-related litigation (including disputes),
  • Advice on medical, stress, harassment and bullying issues
  • Employer obligations under the sale, purchase or outsourcing of a business
  • Restructuring and the design and negotiation of exit packages
  • Redundancies and dismissals

We are experienced in major organisational restructuring and can assist in the facilitation and implementation of large-scale change management helping clients navigate the complexities and challenges of organisational change.

"They are personally committed to achieving the right outcome, and this comes through with their high quality advice and style of communication. Their collective experience and knowledge shines through, and their approach is to work with you, rather than just telling you what they think."

"Extremely knowledgeable and able to provide advice in plain English, so we are able to understand and execute."

- Client feedback, The Legal 500, Labour and Employment, Asia Pacific 2023

Areas of expertise:

  • Collective Bargaining
  • Employment Agreements
  • Employment Disputes
  • Employment Relations
  • Industrial Relations
  • NZ Sports Tribunal Proceedings
  • Personal Grievances
  • Policy Development
  • Restraints of Trade
  • Organisational Restructuring
  • Serious Misconduct
  • Redundancies and Dismissals
  • Workplace Health and Safety
  • Minimum Wage and Holidays Act Compliance
  • Disciplinary Investigations and Dismissals
  • External Workplace Investigations

Employment team

Daniel Erickson

Partner

Fraser Wood

Partner

Karina McLuskie

Partner

Mark Hammond

Partner

Fiona Dalziel

Senior Associate

Michelle Urquhart

Senior Associate

Drisana Sheely

Senior Solicitor

Josh Nyika

Senior Solicitor

Clara Whitcombe

Solicitor

Courtney Wi

Solicitor

Knowledge and insights

Natural disasters: what do employers need to know?

Thursday 16 February, 2023

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Business consequences of the Uber decision

Tuesday 14 March, 2023

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Tompkins Wake reaffirms place on international stage

Tuesday 17 January, 2023

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Fair Pay Agreements: How employers can prepare for the process

Thursday 1 December, 2022

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Fair Pay Agreements: All about the Agreements

Tuesday 29 November, 2022

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Gear up now for a new whistleblower law

Wednesday 2 November, 2022

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“I’ve changed my mind” – The Implications of a Buoyant Labour Market

Tuesday 11 October, 2022

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New Regime for Protected Disclosures (Whistleblower legislation)

Wednesday 29 June, 2022

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Fair Pay Agreements Bill

Wednesday 13 July, 2022

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Putting our people first – no matter what

Monday 30 May, 2022

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Is time running out for restraints of trade?

Friday 30 September, 2022

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Greater protections for whistleblowers

Monday 23 May, 2022

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Employer Accreditation for New Work Visa Opens 23 May

Monday 9 May, 2022

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Tompkins Wake appoints three new Partners

Monday 4 April, 2022

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Supportive team culture lures new Partner to join the firm

Monday 4 April, 2022

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From summer intern to Tompkins Wake Partner

Monday 4 April, 2022

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End of vaccine mandates and vaccine passes

Wednesday 23 March, 2022

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Will the time to file a PG for sexual harassment be extended?

Monday 21 February, 2022

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Game, set and vax: Does no jab mean no match for unvaccinated athletes?

Wednesday 2 February, 2022

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Restraint of trade agreements: what are they and are they enforceable?

Friday 21 January, 2022

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Discretionary bonus schemes

Tuesday 21 December, 2021

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Employers concerned about Covid sick leave, infection risks and random testing

Friday 14 January, 2022

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New COVID legislation makes it easier for employers to impose vaccinate mandates

Friday 3 December, 2021

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Can employers require employees to be vaccinated for commercial reasons?

Monday 29 November, 2021

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Government widens vaccine mandate for employees

Wednesday 27 October, 2021

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Covid, vaccinations, contracts and health & safety

Friday 22 October, 2021

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No jab no job?

Monday 13 September, 2021

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When is annual leave not annual leave?

Thursday 5 August, 2021

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Employment and vaccination: has anything changed?

Thursday 29 July, 2021

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First stage of changes to work visa scheme revealed

Thursday 1 July, 2021

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Sick leave will increase from 5 days to 10 days

Tuesday 25 May, 2021

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Privacy implications of employers asking for employees’ vax status

Monday 10 May, 2021

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Employers of migrants beware - communication is vital

Tuesday 4 May, 2021

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Compulsory COVID vaccines for employees?

Thursday 28 January, 2021

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Christmas Closedown Confusion

Thursday 17 December, 2020

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Changes are coming for employers

Thursday 26 November, 2020

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Is your business facing possible redundancies?

Wednesday 3 June, 2020

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Utilising the COVID-19 wage subsidy extension

Wednesday 17 June, 2020

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COVID-19 turmoil for employers again

Wednesday 26 August, 2020

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COVID-19 lockdown decisions return to haunt employers

Wednesday 26 August, 2020

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Is pay equity on the horizon?

Wednesday 2 September, 2020

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Firing ex-wife costs husband $70,000

Friday 3 July, 2020

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What to do if an employee is damaging your business

Monday 10 February, 2020

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Better protections for contractors

Monday 13 January, 2020

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Minimum wage obligations and how to meet them

Tuesday 26 November, 2019

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Lime Scooters - a new option

Thursday 31 October, 2019

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Why have a dress code?

Tuesday 9 July, 2019

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Availability Provisions Clarified

Thursday 20 June, 2019

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Employment Law Changes

Friday 31 May, 2019

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Tompkins Wake announces the promotion of legal specialists

Friday 10 May, 2019

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Tompkins Wake awarded Rainbow Tick

Friday 29 March, 2019

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Proposed Employment Law Changes

Friday 9 March, 2018

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Employment law reforms announced

Friday 5 January, 2018

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