We all know HR can be a real minefield if you’re not sure of the correct process to follow when you suspect an employee is up to no good.
It isn’t clearly documented in legislation, but case law has given us a great framework that should be applied whenever a disciplinary matter rears its head.
Below we have outlined the main steps of a disciplinary process:
It can feel harsh receiving an employee’s resignation, even when you know the employee is leaving to pursue an exciting new opportunity. But as the employer, how do you manage this resignation process while meeting good faith obligations?
Read More »Often when we’re called to help navigate through an employment issue, our first conundrum is figuring out if we’re dealing with a disciplinary matter or a performance matter. The processes are different, so it’s important to get it right.
Read More »The short answer is no. BUT if a casual employee isn’t truly casual, then they essentially have the rights of a permanent employee, which means a far more robust, fair process must be followed to end the employment relationship.
To recap, a casual employee is someone with no guaranteed hours of work, and no regular or routine pattern of work. They work on an “as and when required” basis, with no ongoing expectation of employment – if they’re not needed, they’re not called.
But what if they’re not a truly genuine casual employee?
What if the relationship has developed into something more regular?
Read More »Conducting a performance review can seem like a big time commitment for managers and employees, so is there any value in doing them?
In a nutshell, yes! But not the traditional way, where performance reviews have historically been an exercise in form filling, which often stifles discussion and restricts the benefit that can be achieved. The real value lies in implementing a process that encourages a conversation.
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Effective leaders have to be brave enough to have tough conversations so they can deliver feedback effectively. As Brene Brown says, you have to get comfortable with discomfort!
Here’s some tips to help you:
Read More »For some businesses, restructuring will be an unfortunate effect of the COVID-19 crisis; a necessary evil.
But restructuring can be a challenging process to navigate, and it can have far wider implications than just the individuals who are immediately affected, so we recommend it really is a last resort.
However, if it is a path you need to go down, here are our 5 golden rules (particularly at this time!):
Read More »Employee engagement is often seen as one of the fanciful parts of HR – it can be a buzz word without a lot of substance behind it if you don’t really know the true value behind it.
Put simply, employee engagement is a measure of job satisfaction. It signifies the level of motivation an employee has for their job; employees who are highly engaged essentially try harder and therefore perform at a greater level than disengaged staff. So aiming to lift employee engagement is about tapping into the discretionary effort and fostering increased drive from employees.
When it’s time to recruit, it can be tempting to look for the easiest fit; someone who has come from a direct competitor. They’ll have industry experience, they’ll know the customers and the suppliers, and they’re likely to hit the ground running in a very short timeframe.
But are they always your best option? What about talented individuals with a different industry background?
Employment issues again hit the headlines in the last month with cases that had gone before the Employment 
Relations Authority (ERA). And again, the learning is the importance of PROCESS when considering terminating an employee.
In Queenstown, a carpenter was awarded $24,500 after being unjustifiably dismissed while in Fiji attending the funeral of a close relative. He was only told his employment had ended when he contacted his employer to see why he hadn’t been paid. It was then that he was told they’d run out of work for him.