New Zealand: Employment and HR

Restrictive covenants in New Zealand employment agreements are only enforceable if they are reasonable in scope, duration, and geographic area, and necessary to protect legitimate business interests such as confidential information, client relationships, or workforce stability.

In New Zealand, the right for an employee to have a support person in a range of different settings is well established and important to be aware of. Formal meetings, like a disciplinary meeting or similar process, can be intimidating for employees. Having a support person, whether that be a family member, friend or lawyer, can help employees through that process. Having a support person in a disciplinary meeting is often advantageous for an employer as well.

New Zealand’s Employment Relations Act reforms are now in force and change how you hire, manage contractors and handle personal grievances. You can offer individual agreements from day one, and a new gateway test provides clearer rules for contractor status