Employers Assistance Newsletter March 2018

Employers Newsletter March 2018
This Issue
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Emergency closures. Who pays?
Generally, wages are payable if employees are ready, willing and able to work. However, what happens in the situation of natural disasters such as the recent ex-tropical cyclone Gita causing businesses to close their doors due to flooding and safety reasons?...full story

90 Day Trials - Calendar days
The 90 Day Trial Period is under review with the Employment Relations Act Amendment Bill 2018. The proposal is removing the validity of its use from Businesses with more than 19 staff. For these firms the traditional 'Probationary Period' will be the way forward....full story

Minimum wage rise
The Minimum Wage will increase from 1 April 2018. The Government is legally obliged to review the Minimum Wage annually. However, the new Government has already pledged to get it up to $20 per hour by 2020...full story

Easter Sunday Trading
Easter Sunday is of course not a Public Holiday - it is a non-trading day in most areas.
Therefore staff working get paid at their normal rate with no alternative holiday.

If you require your employees to work (and you are in an industry or area permitted to do so), you have four weeks to provide notice, in writing, to this effect. Notice needs to also inform them they have a right of refusal. So this year (2018) the window for this notice is from Feb 4th through to March 4th.

If staff wish to refuse this they have to give at least 14 days written notice of this. Employees are not required to provide a reason for their refusal.
In August 2016 the National Government gave local councils the authority to permit trading if desired. If you are unsure what your local area's position is contact your local council. Auckland currently remains a non-trading area.

Daylight Saving Ends Sunday April 1
Daylight Saving ends on Sunday 1st April. At 3.00am clocks are put back one hour to 2.00am.
Any employees working when Daylight Saving ends will work an additional hour and must get paid for that.

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