COVID-19

As most will know, COVID-19 is quickly growing in prevalence within the community, and the New Zealand Government has been taking steps to address the growing issue of isolation requirements for close contacts, as this has the potential to cause significant disruptions to businesses and supply chains. On 16 February 2022, the COVID-19 Public Health Response […]

Following the country’s move into the COVID-19 Protection Framework, seemingly away from the elimination strategy, and the growing threat of Omicron and other variants which may circumvent the protection afforded by vaccination, COVID-19 may become part of daily life for most New Zealanders, and infections may become more and more prevalent for the foreseeable future. 

COVID-19 Government Financial Support for Isolating Staff With Omicron now in the community, employees may need to self-isolate at home due to COVID-19 or while awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test.  But what if an employee cannot work from home?  The following COVID-19 financial support is available to employers to help pay staff who

All of New Zealand will move to the COVID-19 Protection Framework (“Traffic Light System”) at 11.59pm on Thursday, 2 December 2021.  At this time, the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Protection Framework) Order 2021 (“the Protection Framework Order”) will come into effect. Read the Protection Framework Order here.  There is also a quick guide available. Depending on the level at

On 26 November 2021, the COVID-19 Response (Vaccinations) Legislation Act 2021 (“Act”) came into force, which lays the groundwork for the Traffic Light Framework which is proposed to come into effect across New Zealand from Friday, 3 December 2021.   Amendments to PHRA 2020 The COVID-19 Protection Framework The Act broadens the type of COVID-19

At 11:59pm last night (22 October 2021), the Government issued the legal order putting into effect the mandatory vaccination orders announced on 11 October 2021.  Over previous days, the Government has also released a number of amendments to its COVID-19 Public Health Response Orders, covering testing and vaccination mandates.   We cover off the important

On 5 October 2021, the Employment Court (“Court”) released its determination in Smith City (Southern) Limited (in Receivership) v Claxton [2021] NZEmpC 169, regarding two former employees, Jeremy Claxton (“Claxton”) and Nicholas Milne (“Milne”), who engaged in business activities that were in direct competition with their employer, Smith City (Southern) Limited (“Smiths City”), while employed.   Considering

Can employers call the shots with the COVID-19 vaccine? As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout ramps up in New Zealand, we have set out our frequently asked questions and recommendations, below. 1. Do employers have the power to enforce COVID-19 vaccinations on employees and/or applicants for employment?  The Government has recently implemented the COVID-19 Public Health

Applications for the initial two-week August 2021 wage subsidy scheme will close at 11.59pm tonight.  This deadline will be important for any businesses that have held off applying for the Wage Subsidy August 2021 to assess the revenue test period and consider their workforce needs. The Government has approved a further wage subsidy scheme, and applications for the