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.
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

Becky Brown
Senior Associate

Fiona Dalziel
Associate

Michelle Urquhart
Associate

Josh Nyika
Senior Solicitor

Shannon Eldridge
Senior Solicitor

Courtney Wi
Solicitor
Knowledge and insights

New Regime for Protected Disclosures (Whistleblower legislation)
Wednesday 29 June, 2022

Will the time to file a personal grievance for sexual harassment be extended?
Monday 21 February, 2022

Game, set and vax: Does no jab mean no match for unvaccinated athletes?
Wednesday 2 February, 2022

Restraint of trade agreements: what are they and are they enforceable?
Friday 21 January, 2022

Employers concerned about Covid sick leave, infection risks and random testing
Friday 14 January, 2022

New COVID legislation makes it easier for employers to impose vaccinate mandates
Friday 3 December, 2021

Can employers require employees to be vaccinated for commercial reasons?
Monday 29 November, 2021

What you need to know about New Zealand's move to Alert Level 4
Wednesday 18 August, 2021
