2017 Publications
28 June 2017 Do employers have the right to know about employees' criminal charges? The Supreme Court has found that an employer often will have the right to know, even if there is a suppression order. "X" was employed by the University of Otago as a campus security guard. While employed, he faced charges of willful damage and assaulting his wife. X pleaded guilty but the judge discharged him without conviction on both charges because it was "extremely likely" he would otherwise lose his job. The judge also made a suppression order prohibiting publication of X's name or identification. More ... 14 June 2017 A man who was dismissed through a text message has won his case for unjustified dismissal in the Employment Relations Authority. But despite being wrongfully dismissed, he did not receive any money. More ... 31 May 2017 It has been reported that Auckland real estate salesperson, Samuel Clough, has lost his job after pleading guilty to methamphetamine charges. While perhaps unsurprising, it does beg the question as to what extent an employer can discipline its employee for conduct away from work. 17 May 2017 It is a reality of life that people get sick. Sometimes, the illness can take someone out of action for an extended period of time. This is certainly difficult for the person concerned, but will also often cause difficulties for their employer. While the majority of employers will want to support their employee as far as they can, they will also need to protect the business. More ... 3 May 2017 Two Bills currently before Parliament are set to make significant changes to the face of employment law. One is intended to help victims of domestic violence in their employment. The other aims to allow employers to, through contract, remove the right of highly paid employees to bring personal grievances. More ... 19 April 2017 One very recent development is that several companies have started microchipping their employees. While this futuristic development has real benefits, it's a case of the good news and the bad news, like most things in life. Swedish start-up hub Epicenter began implanting workers in January 2015 and now about 150 workers are microchipped. More ... 5 April 2017 Addiction is a silent and sometimes deadly disorder. A significant section of the populace struggles with some form of addiction, and almost everyone is affected by it in one way or another. More ... 22 March 2017 Huge damage has been caused to governments and private organisations by employees or contractors downloading or stealing information, often top secret. KGB spy Kim Philby copied a considerable amount of the British Government's secret intelligence in the 1960s but it was nothing compared to what he could do today. More ... 8 March 2017 World famous jewellery brand Tiffany & Co is being sued for allegedly discriminating against an employee on medical grounds. More ... 22 February 2017 The generation of baby boomers are now reaching retirement age in huge numbers, increasing interest in ageism and age discrimination cases. There has been an extraordinary development in the United Kingdom. Over 200 UK judges joined together and brought a claim against the Ministry of Justice for unlawful age, race, and sex discrimination and for equal pay. More ...
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