Trial periods vs probation periods
A trial period is designed to ensure a new employee is a good fit for their employer. An alternative to a trial period is a probation period.
Business briefs
The Commerce Commission recently filed criminal charges against two construction companies and their directors for alleged bid-rigging of publicly funded construction contracts.
Whakaari/White Island eruption
Following the Whakaari/White Island decision, WorkSafe will likely seek full disclosure of all board documents before bringing similar future prosecutions.
Business briefs
This issue's business briefs are:
Update on construction contracts retention regime;
New obligations for businesses offering Buy Now Pay Later;
Large businesses may need to disclose payment practices;
Are your T&Cs unfair?
Business continuity planning
Once reserved for large businesses with a high degree of public dependency, such as banking, hospitals or utility companies, business continuity and disaster recovery plans have become increasingly important for businesses of all sizes.
What is the PPSR?
The PPSR is a searchable online register that records if a third party has a financial interest in the assets of individuals or entities. If you or your business leases or sells goods on credit terms, or if you have lent money to a third party, you should seriously consider registration on the PPSR in order to protect your business or yourself.
Business briefs
This issue's business briefs are:
Employment Court rules four Uber drivers are employees;
Facial recognition and the Privacy Act: balancing security and individual rights; and
Cartel conduct: Commerce Commission warns eight freight forwarding companies.
Contractors
From a legal perspective, hiring contractors has always been tricky. The onus of correctly identifying who is an employee versus a contractor, and ensuring legal compliance, remains an employer’s responsibility. The financial consequences of misidentification can be significant for a business owner.