What do HR leaders need to know?

The passing of the new Employment Relations Amendment Act will introduce four key changes to New Zealand's labour law.

Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden previously said the bill is about "backing business to hire with increased confidence."

"Rebalancing the employment relations settings, as this law does, brings more choice for businesses and workers to create and enter working arrangements that suit their individual needs," van Velden said in a previous statement.

Leading law firm Bell Gully also described the changes as "significant" and that they will "strengthen the position of employers."

'Specified contractor' concept

One of the four key changes under the amendments is the new "specified contractor" concept.

"Any worker who performs work arrangements that meet a specific set of criteria will be a "specified contractor," and they will be excluded from the definition of an employee that currently applies under the Employment Relations Act 2000," Bell Gully explained.

The concept comes after a controversial employment dispute between Uber and four of its drivers over the latter's employment status.

The Supreme Court ruled that the drivers were employees of Uber, a decision that the ride-hailing platform said "casts significant doubt on contracting arrangements across New Zealand."

Personal grievance changes

The second key change is the change of remedies under the personal grievance regime.

Under the amendments,...

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