Essential Update - 28th June 2023

Posted 28 June 2023 by Mike Johnson FPA's, PG, Legislation;

Essential Update – 28^th June 2023

 

In this update:

• Update to Personal Grievance Legislation
• Update regarding Fair Pay Agreements
• Practice Plus – an easier way for staff to speak to a Doctor

 

Update to Personal Grievance Legislation

As of 13^th June 2023, employees have 12 months to raise a personal grievance arising from sexual harassment, providing the event occurred on or after 13^th June 2023.

The 90-day time limit will still apply to all other personal grievance.

In response to this change, all new employment agreements will need to include a clause explaining the new 12-month limit for sexual harassment related personal grievances. This is a mandatory requirement, and our standard templates will be updated.

For those who currently use our standard templates, this will require a amendment to Schedule 3.  Please vary your standard agreement template by replacing clause 4 of Schedule 3 with:

4

• “If you wish to raise a personal grievance, you must raise it with us:
  • within 12 months of the day on which either the action occurred, or you became aware of it, if it relates to sexual harassment under s 103(1)(d) of the Act; or
  • within 90 days of the day on which either the action occurred, or you became aware of it, if it relates to any other personal grievance.

 

If you do not use our standard IEA templates and would like assistance to draft a variation to contracts, please get in touch with us and we would be happy to help.

 

Update to Fair Pay Agreement progress

As I write there are now 5 FPAs that have been approved to set up bargaining.  If you are aware that one may affect you please follow this link which will take you to a page on our website, with a high-level summary of where each is currently at.  

 

Practice Plus

We have been seeing an increasing number of situations where staff have been off work, on sick leave, but have claimed not to have been able to get into the Doctor to get a medical certificate. It is true that there are significant waits to see Doctor’s at the moment, but there is a new alternative that will make the process easier.

Practice Plus is an after-hours service that provides same day virtual appointments for patients, from 5pm-10pm Monday to Friday or 8am-8pm on weekends and public holidays.

Pricing is $65 for ages 14 and over or $19.50 for CSC card holders.

This may be a helpful tool and will hopefully reduce the number of employees who are not fulfilling their obligations in obtaining medical certificates as requested.

Please have a look online to find out more information - https://practiceplus.nz/

 

Essential HR are here to help.  For ongoing help call us on – 03 3650532 (voice messages are automatically relayed to Mike), or you can contact Mike directly on 027 2808546 or mike@essentialhr.co.nz.

I’m happy for you to pass this on to others.

And if you need to conference call, we are all set up with Zoom.