Employment New Zealand has produced key information for businesses, including financial support schemes and employment law.
Key points to note are:
- Employment law still applies to all employment relationships, regardless of the circumstances that we find ourselves in.
- Early Resolution is a free service that helps resolve workplace issues early, quickly and informally.
- There are various COVID-19 financial support schemes available to businesses, depending on your situation.
For employment-related COVID-19 information, please refer to these web pages:
- Employment guide for workers at different COVID-19 alert levels – Answers to frequently asked questions that workers may have at different alert levels including: Health and safety, Leave and pay, Workplace changes.
- Early Resolution – This is a free phone-based service for employees and employers that helps resolve workplace issues early, quickly, and informally, before it becomes too serious or needs a more formal process.
- COVID-19 financial support – Current financial support schemes for businesses, employers and employees including: Resurgence Support Payment, Wage Subsidy Scheme, Short-Term Absence Payment and the Leave Support Scheme.
- Leave and pay entitlements during COVID-19 – Rights and responsibilities regarding pay and leave during COVID-19 response and recovery.
- COVID-19: Guidance for payroll professionals – Key messages for payroll professionals around what employment law looks like in the COVID-19 environment to help answer any questions that are presenting.
- Modifying employment agreements during COVID-19 – Options to deal with the impacts of COVID-19 in the workplace if an employer wants to make changes to existing work arrangements.
- Terminating employment agreements during COVID-19 – Good faith processes to follow for workplace change, and redundancy should only be considered as the last resource, only if no suitable alternative arrangements have been found.
- Vaccines and the workplace – General guidance to assist businesses and workers.
- Temporary changes to parental leave law due to COVID-19 – These law changes allow some workers on parental leave to temporarily go back to work without losing their entitlements.
- Addressing health and safety concerns– Guidance for workers and businesses operating during the different COVID-19 Alert Level restrictions.
- Wage subsidy and Leave Support: Complaints about employers – If you believe your employer is acting unlawfully in regards to the wage subsidy schemes or Leave Support Scheme, here are the steps to resolve your concerns or make a complaint.
- Rules around Essential Services: Find out if your business can open during Alert 4 and other alert levels.
- COVID-19 alert levels and the workplace – Important guidance for employees, employers and businesses from Employment New Zealand.
Minimum rights of employees – The minimum rights of an employee are the responsibility of the employer.
Minimum rights of employees language translations:
- Employment learning modules (8 languages)
- Quick guide: Know your employment rights (20 languages)
- Minimum employment rights and responsibilities booklet (15 languages)
- Family violence leave guide (10 languages)
- Employment mediation quick guide (7 languages).
For all questions please in the first instance, visit www.employment.govt.nz for a wealth of information, tools and resources.
