Navigating the complex world of HR: common pain points employers face

Navigating the complex world of HR: common pain points employers face

by | Sep 20, 2023 | ConsultingHQ Blog, HR Advice

Illustration of an HR manager addressing team dynamics. Overcoming HR challenges.

Navigating the complex world of HR: common pain points employers face

Contents

Introduction

In the realm of human resources, employers often find themselves navigating a complex landscape filled with challenges and pain points. Whether you’re a small startup or a large corporation, these HR hurdles can impact your organisation’s success. In this blog, we’ll explore some common HR pain points that employers face and offer insights on how to address them effectively.

1. Talent acquisition challenges

One of the fundamental HR challenges is finding and hiring the right talent. The job market is competitive, and identifying candidates with the skills and cultural fit for your organisation can be a daunting task. To address this, consider refining your recruitment strategies, leveraging employee referrals, and using technology to streamline the hiring process.

2. Employee retention

High turnover rates can drain resources and disrupt productivity. Retaining top talent is essential for long-term success. Develop robust retention strategies, such as providing opportunities for growth, recognising achievements, and fostering a positive workplace culture.

3. Compliance and regulations

Navigating labour laws and regulations is a perpetual challenge for HR professionals. Staying updated on legal requirements, investing in compliance training, and seeking legal counsel when necessary can help your organisation remain in good standing.

4. Performance management

Managing and improving employee performance is an ongoing process. Implement regular feedback mechanisms, establish clear goals, and offer professional development opportunities to enhance employee performance.

5. Employee morale and engagement

A disengaged workforce can lead to decreased productivity and increased turnover. Focus on boosting morale through team-building activities, open communication, and initiatives that promote a sense of purpose within your organisation.

6. Workplace conflict

Conflicts among employees can disrupt the workplace and damage team dynamics. Implement conflict resolution strategies, encourage open dialogue, and provide mediation resources to address issues promptly.

7. Benefits and compensation

Designing competitive compensation packages and benefits plans is crucial for attracting and retaining top talent. Regularly review and adjust your offerings to remain competitive in the job market.

8. Training and development

Providing employees with opportunities for growth and development is essential for both individual and organisational success. Invest in training programmes, mentorship, and continuous learning initiatives.

9. Diversity and inclusion

Creating an inclusive and diverse workplace is not just a trend but a necessity. Develop diversity and inclusion policies, provide diversity training, and actively promote an inclusive culture.

10. HR technology

Embracing HR technology can streamline processes, but its implementation can be challenging. Invest in user-friendly systems, provide adequate training, and ensure ongoing support for your HR tech solutions.

11. Workplace safety

A safe working environment is a legal and ethical imperative. Regularly assess and improve safety measures, educate employees on safety protocols, and comply with relevant regulations.

12. Succession planning

Identifying and preparing future leaders within your organisation is vital for continuity. Develop a succession plan that identifies and nurtures potential leaders.

Conclusion

While HR pain points are diverse and multifaceted, addressing them strategically can lead to a more efficient and productive workplace. By continuously assessing and adapting your HR practices, you can build a strong, engaged workforce that contributes to your organisation’s long-term success. Remember, HR challenges are opportunities in disguise, waiting for innovative solutions to propel your business forward.

Take our complimentary HR Audit to uncover your pain points and to come up with a plan to help address them.

Contact us to find out how we can help your business.

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COVID-19 vaccines and the workplace

COVID-19 vaccines and the workplace

by | Sep 8, 2021 | ConsultingHQ Blog, Health & Safety, HR Advice, Legal Compliance, Risk Management

COVID-19-vaccines-and-the-workplace

Global overview of workplace vaccination

Contents

A sharp upsurge in infections due to the Delta variant and a slowdown in vaccinations have pushed governments around the world to make COVID-19 jabs mandatory for health workers and other high-risk groups.

A growing number of countries now require proof of vaccination, or a negative Covid test to enter hospitality business or large public events – in particular, many indoor events mandate evidence of vaccination.

New York City for example, will become the first major U.S. city to require, from mid-September, proof of vaccination for customers and staff to be at restaurants, gyms and other indoor businesses as the US enters a new phase of battling the Delta Covid variant.

Can I make vaccination mandatory for employees?

In New Zealand, getting the Covid-19 vaccine is voluntary for most people. However, anyone who works in a high-risk border or managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) setting legally must be vaccinated.

In addition to this, businesses providing services to potentially high-risk areas having conducted proper health and safety risk assessments and concluded that the role/tasks should only be performed by a vaccinated worker may require vaccination.

This is because of the health & safety risk whilst performing the role and the potential consequences of that risk, and holds true in situations where the use of PPE or extended distancing between workers is not viable.

Not all essential service providers require mandatory vaccination

Be aware that just because an employer is providing services to essential workers, it does not automatically put the roles into the mandatory vaccination category i.e., a number of essential work activities do not present increased risk not manageable with PPE, etc.

This means that the focus is strictly on what is required to perform the role just as you would for any role e.g., a truck driver – which requires a specific licence.

WorkSafe has useful information and tools to assist with assessing the risk to ascertain if a specific role needs to be performed by a vaccinated worker.

Management of employee personal health records regarding vaccination

Vaccinated status or otherwise is personal information and the Privacy Act states that it should only be requested where necessary. It is not necessary if the work has not been assessed from a health and safety perspective.

If roles within your business meet the health and safety threshold, you can ask employees if they have been vaccinated but they do not have to tell you if they have, or why they chose not to.

The reality is that most employers do not have an environment that meets the very limited circumstances identified by the Government as justifying mandatory vaccination, and you could potentially be exposing your business to Privacy Act, discrimination, or disadvantage claims by insisting on having this information.

Importantly, you may not discriminate against employees who choose not to get the vaccination – there may be religious or medical reasons why a person cannot be vaccinated.

Can my main contractor or client mandate that my workers are vaccinated, wear face coverings and record their attendance?

Vaccinations

As outlined above, if a particular role meets the health and safety threshold in terms of it being high risk and that vaccination/mask-wearing is a genuine occupational requirement then yes, you can mandate this for your role. Clients to whom you contract with can pretty much put in place whatever rules they want to, and your business needs to establish ways of meeting their requirements.

Roles that might have a genuine occupational requirement for vaccination include:
 
  • Front line workers – border/MIQ staff, medical professionals, supermarket workers etc
  • Aged care facility workers – due to the high-risk level for aged care residents if they contract Covid-19.
  • People working with children who are below the vaccination age.
Other roles which could also be considered as having a genuine occupational requirement include:

 

  • Hospitality/café workers who have face to face contact with customers, but not necessarily in a high-risk environment such as at the airport.
  • Back of house roles (e.g. administration) who work in higher-risk companies, but not actually in the high-risk area themselves.
  • Customer-facing roles, particularly in high traffic areas such as shopping malls.
  • Construction sites where there are high numbers of personnel in a confined area.

Employers need to assess the risk assess each job and decide if mandatory vaccination can be justified due to occupational requirements.

Recording attendance

At Alert Levels 1 and 2, businesses are only required to display a NZ COVID Tracer QR code or have an alternative way people can record their visit, but it is recommended that all businesses implement steps to encourage people to record their visit.

At Alert Levels 3 and 4, most businesses that are open must have systems and processes in place to ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, that everyone aged 12 years or older who enters their workplace records their visit. This means more than just displaying the QR code, as required at all alert levels. It requires the person in charge of the business or service to have systems and processes in place to ensure that people do check in.

Can I ask candidates whether they are vaccinated during a job interview?

Businesses can only ask candidates if they are vaccinated when this is justified by the requirements of the role. For example, if a business decides, following a COVID-19 exposure risk assessment, that certain work cannot be performed by an unvaccinated worker, it may be reasonable to ask about an applicant’s vaccination status. This information will need to be collected and handled according to the Privacy Act.

What can I do if my employee in a high-risk role refuses to be vaccinated or wear a mask?

If employees are doing work that can only be done by a vaccinated worker, but are not vaccinated, in the first instance employers will need to address any practical barriers to accessing vaccination (e.g., checking if travel or time off work is needed). There are a range of other options that employers concerned should think about before considering termination such as: changing work arrangements or duties, taking leave, and restructuring work. Obviously, employers should take care to be fair and reasonable in their response, and work through processes with employees in good faith before deciding on any outcome.

Fortunately, the acceptance and understanding within the New Zealand community that vaccination is a reasonable and responsible step we can all take to protect the health and Safety of ourselves, and others seems to be gathering momentum and increasing.

Summary of advice to employers around mandatory vaccination

  • Before requiring mandatory vaccinations of staff – assess the risk, it is likely that it can be solved via PPE/risk reduction measures. In fact, there are very few roles/industries where the risk is so great as to require mandatory vaccinations to keep employment. Therefore, dismissals resulting from lack of vaccinations is in the majority of cases not really an option.
  • Consulting and communicating with staff and ensuring the Privacy Act is maintained throughout the consultation.
  • Seeking feedback from staff about what you are considering – perhaps introducing a voluntary register to begin with.
  • If clients request mandatory vaccinations of your staff who attend their worksites – ask the client for further information so that you can understand their risk assessment which requires vaccination information as a condition of contracting services.

As this is a rapidly changing area, if you have any questions about vaccinations and employment or you just need some general HR guidance and expert advice, please give us a call, we would be very happy to assist you.

Contact us to find out how we can help your business.

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Employee rights in NZ during natural disasters & emergencies

Employee rights in NZ during natural disasters & emergencies

by | Jun 2, 2021 | ConsultingHQ Blog, Health & Safety, HR Advice, Legal Compliance, Risk Management

employee-rights-in-NZ-during-natural-disasters-emergencies-image

Employee rights in NZ during emergency and disaster management

Contents

Do employee rights in NZ change in the situation where you are managing a civil emergency?

The Canterbury area is currently welcoming dry weather following the devastating floods they have just experienced. This impacts business owners and employees, particularly in the area of employee rights in NZ where there is a natural disaster or emergency to be managed.

This weather event was so severe, the MetService issued a rare ‘Red Warning’ – which means an event is expected to be among the worst that we get. This means the weather will have a significant impact and the possibility that a lot of people will be affected.

In situations such as these people have to take immediate action with no time for giving consideration to matters such as ‘what are employee rights during flooding events or other natural disasters’.

The Heath & Safety at Work Act 2015 requires employers to put the safety and wellbeing of employees before all else

With infrastructure such as roads and bridges destroyed, causing disruption to transport – along with businesses and schools potentially being closed, and homes being damaged – this could leave some workers struggling to get to work.

When natural disasters or other serious events occur, the primary concern of all employers and their employees is the health, safety & security of people.

This comes before thinking about the interests of the business or organisation and during these events employers and employees should try to keep in regular contact and deal with each other in good faith.

Things for employers to consider in the face of a natural disaster:

  • Take care of the health and safety and wellbeing of your team, yourself, and your customers/clients.
  • If the workplace isn’t safe, don’t require your staff to work there. Make sure it’s safe first. Employees can stop work because of health and safety concerns under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. It’s primarily the building owner’s responsibility to ensure that buildings are assessed to determine whether they have withstood the event and remain structurally sound (in accordance with the Building Act 2004). Employers who occupy the building should follow the owner’s advice and be satisfied that the owner is performing their role. If an engineer or other competent professional advisor advises to not re-occupy the building, the building should not be re-occupied.
  • Proactive communication and support following a disaster are key to getting the business up and running again as quickly as possible. Contact your employees as soon as possible to advise them of the workplace situation and your expectations of them. Give them updates even if they are not required to be at work so that they know what is going on. Use texts and social media where possible to minimise overload of the telecommunications network. Remember your team could be under additional stress, provide them with support and help and show your concern. This could include access to an employee assistance programme for counselling, having a team debrief, daily blog or email.
  • If public transport is unavailable or reduced, think about facilitating carpools among team members. Smaller business owners could organise carpooling with other employers nearby. Consider any impact on employees getting to work on time and whether you can be flexible.
  • Consider wider infrastructure issues (e.g., road closures, power outages or water restrictions) and the impact of these on team members getting to and from work and whether you can be flexible.
  • In an extraordinary event, you may need to approach things differently. This may include temporarily changing your leave policy, letting employees work flexibly, or adopting a flexible approach to employees making personal phone calls to check on family during the workday.
  • Think about any negative impact on pay (e.g., processing of payroll) and try to minimise this.
  • Be up front and honest with the team about the situation and give them the opportunity to ask questions and raise any concerns they may have.

Pay and leave during a civil emergency

Employees may not be able to attend work for various reasons including:

  • An employer may be unable to provide work for employees who are willing and able to carry out their agreed hours of work.
  • An employer may be unable to provide a suitable and safe workplace for employees who are willing and able to carry out their agreed hours of work.
  • Employees can’t access the workplace because of restrictions not directly related to their own workplace and out of their employer’s control (e.g. road closures, safety issues relating to adjoining buildings, evacuation due to flooding or tsunami risk).
  • An employee (or their dependant) is sick or injured and unable to work.
  • An employee has to care for a dependant because usual care is unavailable.
  • An employee is willing and able to work but their usual mode of transport is unavailable.

Check force majeure clauses in employment agreement(s) and workplace policies to see if the specific circumstance is covered

Without being clear about what these documents include, employers and employees cannot just assume that time away from work in these circumstances would be either paid or unpaid. If these situations are not covered, then it is up to both parties to talk about it in good faith and agree on how the time away from work will be classed.

If an employee’s partner or dependent family member isn’t injured or sick but he or she requires care, e.g., because their child’s school is closed, the employee cannot take sick leave. In some cases, employees may be able to continue to work while caring for their family, if the employer and employee agree to this arrangement. If it is not appropriate or possible for staff to continue working, employees and employers will need to agree on what basis the employee is off work.

Leave and payment options to consider in disaster management:

  • Annual holidays
  • Anticipated annual holidays or additional annual holidays
  • Using an entitled alternative holiday
  • Special leave, either as provided for in employment agreements or workplace policies or by agreement between the employer and employee
  • Leave without pay
  • Employees can take sick leave if their partner or dependents are injured or sick and they have sick leave available, or the employer agrees to extra sick leave
  • Other paid or unpaid leave either as provided for in employment agreements or workplace policies or by agreement between the employer and employee
  • Advance on wages

Whichever option the employer and employee agree on may depend upon the circumstances, including the nature and extent of the disaster and how long it lasts.

Once all leave entitlements under the Holidays Act 2003 and any negotiated additional leave or any anticipated leave entitlements run out, employees and their employers will need to consider further options in good faith (and consider the impact these options will have on business recovery later).

NB: There are special rules for shift workers relating to the cancellation or early ending of a shift. (Seek HR advice from ConsultingHQ if you have shift workers and you are unsure of what it means for your business).

Employee dismissal for missing work during a natural disaster or emergency

In situations such as the Canterbury flooding, an employee may not be able to come to work for a variety of reasons e.g., they cannot access work due to circumstances out of their control, telecommunications systems are down and they cannot contact you, or they themselves are injured or sick.

New Zealand employment legislation is very clear that employers must follow a fair and reasonable process in disciplinary matters, and keep an open mind when dealing with problems, and act in good faith before dismissing an employee. The reasons that an employee could be dismissed for during a disaster or emergency are very specific.

If your business is faced with a potential disciplinary situation, we recommend you seek advice from ConsultingHQ Consultants before taking any action.

Contact us to find out how we can help your business.

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Quarantine free travel impact on business

Quarantine free travel impact on business

by | May 25, 2021 | ConsultingHQ Blog, HR Advice

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Impact of quarantine free travel on business

Contents

ConsultingHQ has recently received enquiries from clients about how the new quarantine-free travel affects their business and employees. The details below are correct as of 12 May 2021.

Quarantine-free travel

New Zealand Citizens may now travel to all Australian states and territories and the Cook Islands (from 17 May) without having to go into a managed isolation facility on arrival in Australia or the Cook Islands – or on return to New Zealand. All other standard border clearance requirements (health, immigration, biosecurity etc.) still apply.

Border requirements and travel arrangements can change at short notice

Since implementing the quarantine-free travel arrangements with Australia on 18 April there have already been hiccups, with travel paused for several days while outbreaks have been investigated and contained. Therefore, given the contagious nature of the COVID-19 virus, border requirements and travel arrangements can change at short notice. Australian states and territories can have different entry requirements and rules, so travellers should check the conditions and requirements in each state that they intend to visit prior to booking and travelling.

Get the latest NZ health advice at the Unite Against Covid-19 website

For any international travel, even between NZ and Australia, travellers should check the latest Government guidance and register their details with the NZ Foreign Affairs and Trade Safe Travel website so they can receive up-to-date travel advice.

Travel insurance: International travellers should ensure they are covered by comprehensive travel insurance and that they have a good understanding of what their policy covers.

Asking about employee International travel plans

An employer is entitled to ask employees if they are planning to travel to Australia, the Cook Islands, or any other international destination during annual leave – however, employees are not legally required to tell you. The law recognises that employees have a right to privacy, and to not have the reason they are requesting leave prejudice the granting of leave.

There is some risk to a business if an employee travels to Australia or to the Cook Islands, and border regulations change due to an outbreak of Covid-19 resulting in the employee is potentially being away from work longer than intended.

Therefore, because of this, it is reasonable for an employer to ask their employees if they are planning to travel to Australia or other quarantine-free locations, and it is reasonable for employees to confirm whether they are or are not.

Can an employer decline a request for leave on the basis they intend travelling to a quarantine-free location?

Our view is that an employer could not do that. As the NZ Government has opened quarantine travel it is perfectly legitimate for a person to travel to Australia or to the Cook Islands and technically, they are no different to an employee who requests leave to travel within NZ (or to stay at home for that matter).

For an employer to decline a request for leave to travel to Australia or the Cook Islands, the employer would need to demonstrate that they were in a high-risk workplace where employees were in close contact with other people, or that the workplace cared for vulnerable people.

Of course, as per normal circumstances an employer can decline a request for leave if it does not suit the needs of the business or if the employee does not have enough annual leave entitlement available.

If you are concerned about business continuity and the potential for an employee to get caught in Australia or the Cook Islands due to a lockdown or that they might have to go into managed isolation on return, you can limit the amount of leave that you approve in any given period.

Contingency planning for employees who travel to quarantine-free locations for their leave

It does make sense to prepare a contingency plan to manage the risk of your employee(s) getting stuck in Australia or the Cook Islands or going into managed isolation for 14 days – the best outcome would be if you did not need to use it! At this early stage in the quarantine-free arrangements we do not know what impact there would be on these arrangements if there was a serious Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown in a country an employee was visiting.

Any policies you develop should be broad and general, so your people are aware that the business intends to closely monitor and manage the situation, and to support people as far as practicable if the worst occurred and they had to stay in Australia or the Cook Islands or complete a period of managed isolation on return.

As always, any impacts on an individual’s employment should be addressed on a case-by-case basis with that employee and the outcome would depend on their individual circumstances.

Team Communication about quarantine free travel is essential.

If you have concerns about your employees travelling to quarantine-free countries for their leave it is recommended that you talk to them about this. New Zealand Citizens often have close family and friends in Australia and the Cook Islands and it is expected there will be a lot of travel between the countries involved.

You should talk to them about the potential worst-case scenarios and what plans you have put in place, and if there would be any company support available for employees if stranded or having to undertake managed isolation.

If in the case of changes to quarantine-free travel, discuss with them what the employee might do if they had to take extended time away from work or perform their role (or some of it) remotely.

These are the sorts of things you could cover:

  • Whether the person is able (and willing) to work remotely if they are unable to return to work as intended.
  • How much of their role could be done remotely.
  • Whether they have the resources to do so (devices, equipment, internet connection etc).
  • The hours and schedule they might work.
  • How any period of absence or hours not worked will be treated, i.e., paid leave or leave without pay.

Paying people absent due to border closers

If an employee is either unable to return to New Zealand from Australia or the Cook Islands or must complete a period of managed isolation, and they can work remotely, you should pay them as usual.

If they can do some but not all their work, pay them for the work they can do and agree on an alternative arrangement for them for the rest of their time.

This might be:

  • alternative duties that they can do remotely.
  • a period of unpaid or paid leave.
  • a period of annual leave.

If they cannot do any remote work, discuss how a period of extended absence will be treated, as either paid or unpaid leave.

If away for an extended period, you may need to consider how long you can reasonably keep the employee’s job open for them and how long it may take for them to return to work. If the period of absence extends unreasonably, you must consult with the person about their ongoing employment.

If the employee needs to complete managed isolation on their return to New Zealand, and cannot work remotely, there is a good argument that they are not able to work and therefore not entitled to be paid.

Health and safety consideration for employees absent due to border restrictions

The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 requires all employers to ensure the health and safety of their employees and others who come to the workplace. This includes ensuring that staff or customers are not put at risk by an employee returning to work without completing the isolation requirements that may be stipulated by the Ministry of Health.

Employers may require that an employee stay away from work until Ministry of Health guidelines have been met.

Please get in touch if you have a question that we have not covered here.

Contact us to find out how we can help your business.

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Vaccinations in the workplace

Vaccinations in the workplace

by | Apr 13, 2021 | ConsultingHQ Blog, Health & Safety, HR Advice, Legal Compliance, Risk Management

vaccinations-in-the-workplace-image

Covid-19 vaccinations in the workplace

Contents

COVID-19 vaccines will play a critical role in protecting the health and wellbeing of people in New Zealand which will enable our social, economic, and cultural recovery.
Workplaces in New Zealand will be essential in making access to vaccines as easy as possible for all those employed in them – including employees and independent contractors. To help New Zealand’s COVID-19 Immunisation Programme succeed, the Government is recommending employers encourage and support their workforce (including part time, casual and independent contractors) to get vaccinated.

This could include:

  • facilitating on-site vaccinations
  • allowing workers to get vaccinated during work hours without loss of pay, and
  • providing workers with relevant and timely information from the Ministry of Health about vaccination and its benefits.

What are my responsibilities as an employer in relation to the Covid-19 vaccine?

The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 states that employers have an obligation to ensure a safe workplace, as reasonably as they can, and vaccinations can be critical to this. Therefore, an employer must do what is reasonably practicable to reduce the likelihood of infection in the workplace.

As it is not mandatory, what can employers do to get their employees vaccinated?

Ideally, all the workforce would choose to be vaccinated to control the risk of infection, some may not, therefore a business must have additional health and safety plans in place to manage these circumstances.

Can an employer request its employees to be vaccinated?

The employer can request but cannot require an existing employee to be vaccinated.

If an employee refuses to be vaccinated, what can an employer do?

In relation to health and safety in the workplace, a PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking) must ensure health and safety as far as reasonably practicable.

Given the current state of transmission in New Zealand, where workplaces have been able to operate safely without vaccinated staff, it will currently be hard to argue that a person being unvaccinated is a significant health and safety risk but that will depend on the industry and any further changes (such as borders opening).

The employer can ask employees whether they have been vaccinated for risk assessment purposes. If an employee declined to provide the information, the employer should proceed as though the employee has not been vaccinated but should first inform the employee of this assumption.

If workers in the workplace are not vaccinated, the PCBU should do a risk assessment to decide if further control measures are needed to reduce the risk of transmission. Alternative control measures could include (but are not limited to): lower risk duties or worksites for the worker; eliminating or limiting close or face to face interaction with others; working from home where possible; increased social distancing requirements; increased hygiene and cleaning practices; additional training and posters; temperature checks; and additional PPE.

If an employer believes on reasonable grounds that there is a real and imminent risk to health and safety which can only be adequately addressed by vaccine (this is only likely to be in very limited situations where close contact is unavoidable and PPE not wholly effective e.g. health care situations) the employer must consult with the employee and explore all reasonable alternatives and it will only be when all other options are exhausted, that termination of employment would be justifiable. The employer should take specific expert advice on the health and safety requirements, risk and employment implications.                                                       

If your employee refuses to be vaccinated, taking no further action to prevent infection in your workplace will not satisfy your legal health, safety, and wellbeing obligations.

Can I make vaccinations a condition of recruitment?

Employers can require vaccination as a condition for new employees, but only where this is reasonable for the role e.g. where the employer has identified real and imminent risk to an employee working without vaccination and has considered alternatives. This is only likely to be reasonable in limited circumstances such as nursing homes.
Employers need to be careful that they are not exposing themselves to discrimination claims by rejecting an employee based on the candidate’s decision to refuse vaccination. That decision could be based on a pre-existing medical condition or religious grounds. Given the current state of transmission in New Zealand, where workplaces have been able to operate safely without vaccinated staff, it will currently be hard to state that a person being unvaccinated is a significant health and safety risk unless the business is particularly high risk or there is a law change. However, when NZ’s borders reopen, this may create a different situation.

Can employees take leave when they get vaccinated?

If an employer is asking an employee to receive the vaccine, then the employee should be paid for the time it takes to get the vaccine. If the employer is encouraging employees to receive the vaccine, the employer should discuss time off work and whether the time will be paid with the employee and come to a mutual agreement. Employers should consider whether allowing paid time off work will help encourage staff to receive the vaccine.

Vaccination Policy – Our Recommendation.

Start now by thinking about factors specific to your particular workplace including:

  • What do your employment agreements include? Requiring a new employee’s agreement to be vaccinated as a condition of commencing employment is likely to be lawful in most circumstances, However, employers must exercise caution when deciding not to hire an employee whose refusal to be vaccinated is linked to a human right such as religion or disability.
  • What risks are you managing in your workplace by seeking to require vaccinations?
  • Are you providing a safe and healthy workplace if you don’t require vaccinations?
  • Are other steps being taken to achieve the same outcome of minimising the spread of the virus, such as physical distancing, mask wearing and/or sanitising?
  • Is it relevant what the prevalence of the virus is at the time vaccinations are being required?

Commence conversations with your employees about COVID-19 vaccinations as soon as possible. The consultation and support approach is the best way. Remember that all discussions about COVID-19 vaccination must be fair and reasonable and done in good faith.

Keep up to date with information that is provided on NZ government websites and think about where your business and workers fit in the vaccine rollout. Share information with your team.

Make vaccination as easy as possible for your people.

If your business is considering a vaccination policy for employees as part of your response to Covid-19, please feel free to contact us for advice specific to your situation.

Contact us to find out how we can help your business.

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Government subsidised apprenticeship programme

Government subsidised apprenticeship programme

by | Jul 7, 2020 | ConsultingHQ Blog, HR Advice

apprenticeship-training-image

Apprenticeship & Training Programmes in New Zealand

Contents

‘Apprenticeship Boost’ has been created to get New Zealanders into skilled jobs.

With many employees displaced in the construction and trades industries following the COVID-19 lockdown in New Zealand and employers seeking recovery strategies, the Government has initiated funding for employers through a paid apprenticeship programme & funded workforce training in areas of need.

Over $380m has been allocated for skill development for people of all ages across nominated industries in a programme called Apprenticeship Support. Around 18,000 employers will be eligible for the programme, supporting over 35,000 apprentices each year and will be a welcome source of future skill in the Trade & Construction Industries & some other areas where skill shortages are impeding growth. There are four main sectors to the Apprenticeship Support programme as follows:

  • Apprenticeship Boost – a wage subsidy system designed to help employers retain apprentices already employed and increase numbers of apprentice employees in their business.
  • Mana in Mahi – ‘pride in work’, which is focused on helping vulnerable and at risk people into industry pathways to find sustainable future work
  • Group Training Scheme (GTS) support – continued funding of the existing programme on a considered programme by programme basis of almost $20m to assist employers who were previously in this scheme and to help retain apprentices for the period immediately post lockdown (to 30 June 2021).
  • Regional Apprenticeships Initiative focused primarily on increasing skills and employment prospects for people in provincial areas.

All of these options are available for employer support with the exception of the Group Training Scheme, assuming your apprentice(s) are enrolled in an approved NZ Apprentice or Managed Apprentice Programme at Level 4 and a minimum of 120 credits.

Apprentices involved in a Group Training Scheme may also be eligible for employer funding through Mana in Mahi or Apprenticeship Boost programmes.

For the employer, employing an eligible apprentice will mean up to $12,000 subsidy in the first year and $6000 for second year apprentices – who should in theory be much more productive by the second year of employment. An additional $320m has been set aside for a targeted training and apprenticeship fund (TTAF) for undergraduates from 1 July 2020. This funding is focused on providing support to primary industries, construction & trades, mechanical engineering, road transport, electrical engineering. There is an additional focus on community care for youth and elderly, caring for those with disabilities and for victims of domestic violence.

Anyone legally entitled to work in New Zealand can access funding from TTAF, regardless of age or prior study.

These initiatives are all aimed at helping employers retain employees in post COVID recovery – and at helping displaced & vulnerable people gain skills to contribute to overall future productivity & employment. If you would like assistance in organising this for your business, please contact us.

Government Subsidised Apprenticeship Programme.

Contact us to find out how we can help your business.

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