Two pieces of legislation that will directly affect the printing industry include the 90 day trial period and an amendment to KiwiSaver.
Effective from April 1, the 90 day trial period will allow small and medium employers to determine an employee’s suitability for permanent employment, without the risk of a personal grievance. However, it holds three 3 restrictions: the trial period must be in writing and be no longer than 90 days; the employer must employ fewer than 20 employees; and the employee must not have previously worked for the employer.
Effective immediately, the government has repealed the amendment to the ERA, so employers can consider KiwiSaver as a component of total remuneration. It also removed the right of employees to take a personal grievance if they believe they are being disadvantaged because of KiwiSaver.
Ruth Cobb, , says, “These two pieces of legislation are good news for employers. While other amendments to employment legislation are proposed, these are unlikely to occur in the short term.”
