Senior Associate Adrian Tocker shares valuable perspectives on the 2025 collective bargaining landscape and offers insight into what  for 2026. December 2025 The year 2025 has been marked by a delicate balancing act between economic stability and wage expectations.  As we close out December, the labour market reflects a cooling trend with unemployment remaining at 5.2% which many think will be the peak of this current economic cycle.  However, pressures from unions and cost-of-living concerns of workers remain palpable.  The

Senior Associate Lynn Booker reflects on the trends seen by our team in workplace mediations, including the rise of team conflict, and the growing impact of individual mental health on the employment relationship.   As mediators we work with parties in a confidential process. We do not discuss matters with our mediation team but we often talk about themes. What I find interesting is that if one of us has a pattern of similar issues/types of mediations, it is not

Senior Associate and former MBIE Senior Labour Inspector Lynn Booker summarises the changes proposed by the reform of the Holidays Act 2003, and what the new Employment Leave Act could mean for employers.   I imagine for a lot of employers it’s a “here we go again” moment. We have been told several times over the past few years that changes are coming that will simplify the Holidays Act 2003 and make it easier for employer to implement and employees

Navigating the intersection of criminal law and employment investigations can be challenging for employers and employees alike. In this article, Senior Associate Graham Emery explores the crucial distinctions between criminal and employment investigations in New Zealand, and outlines the considerations and rights involved in each process.   How to deal with employee misconduct that might also be a criminal matter is one of the trickiest challenges employers face. It’s a challenging place to be—you want to act fairly, protect your

As we pass the midpoint of 2025, the collective bargaining landscape in New Zealand is marked by economic strain, legislative upheaval, and rising industrial action. Employers, employees, and unions are navigating a tense and transitional environment shaped by inflation, wage pressures, and significant changes to employment law. Pay Equity changes: An end to the current process The Coalition Government rushed through significant changes in May 2025 to lift the bar for pay equity claims and cancel all current pay equity

Significant shifts are proposed for New Zealand’s workplace law landscape and the Employment Relations Act 2000. With the indication that the Employment Relations Amendment Bill will be passed into law before the end of the year, we summarise the changes and our view of the impacts for employers. Contractors vs Employees – Greater Clarity Under the new rules, genuinely independent contractors (“specified contractors”) will sit outside the Act’s employment-law umbrella. To qualify, a contractor must have: A written contract confirming

The Coalition Government has today announced changes to employment regulations relating to collective agreements, to be included in the Employment Relations Amendment Bill due to be introduced this year. Here, we summarise the changes and assesses what the impacts may be for employers and employees. — The rules relating to employers’ obligations to new employees around collective agreements are due to change, following the Coalition Government’s announcement regarding the proposed repeal of the 30-day rule, which applied the terms of

As 2025 unfolds, collective bargaining in New Zealand is being shaped by economic conditions, legislative changes, and shifting labour market dynamics. The repeal of the Fair Pay Agreements Act, alongside a government keen on tightening fiscal constraints, has created a challenging environment for negotiations. Perspectives from employees, employers and unions illustrate the complexity of these negotiations, with each party facing distinct pressures and priorities. The Employee perspective For employees, the economic outlook is mixed. While unemployment has risen to 5.1%

2025 is shaping up to bring significant changes to employment law to in New Zealand. In this update, we summarise the key changes that employers and employees need to be aware of. Increase to the minimum wage From April 1st, the minimum wage will increase to $23.50 per hour. Employers must ensure that they are paying at least this amount by the specified date to avoid any compliance issues. Employers should check their payroll now to avoid any surprises. Gateway