AGENDA

• 8:45 AM

  Virtual orientation

• 9:10 AM

  Opening remarks from the Chairperson

  

  Charlotte Joy

  Senior Associate
  BE Employment Law

  ×

  

  Charlotte Joy

  Senior Associate
  BE Employment Law

  Charlotte is a Senior Associate at BE Employment Law, a specialist employment law firm. Charlotte joined BE Employment Law in 2021, from a national full-service firm.

  Charlotte is a trusted advisor to the firm’s clients and helps them navigate all the complexities of employment law, both contentious and advisory. Strategic, outcome-focused and pragmatic, Charlotte is an expert in assisting employers in restructuring projects, employee health and wellbeing policies and issues, addressing unacceptable workplace behaviours in a way that leads to commercial and fair outcomes, and navigating workplace investigations. Charlotte regularly represents clients at mediation and has appeared as counsel in all the relevant employment jurisdictions.

• 9:20 AM

  Key changes to New Zealand employment law

  There have been several amendments to employment law over the past year, with anticipated changes post-election. This session will discuss the recent and upcoming changes to employment law in 2024 and beyond that will affect employer obligations.  

   

  • Revisions to the Holidays Act and leave entitlements 
  • Introduction of the Worker Protection (Migrant and Other Employees) Bill and The Crimes (Theft by Employer) Amendment Bill 
  • What employment law changes can we expect post-election? 
  • Update on Fair Pay Agreements 

  

  Charlotte Joy

  Senior Associate
  BE Employment Law

  ×

  

  Charlotte Joy

  Senior Associate
  BE Employment Law

  Charlotte is a Senior Associate at BE Employment Law, a specialist employment law firm. Charlotte joined BE Employment Law in 2021, from a national full-service firm.

  Charlotte is a trusted advisor to the firm’s clients and helps them navigate all the complexities of employment law, both contentious and advisory. Strategic, outcome-focused and pragmatic, Charlotte is an expert in assisting employers in restructuring projects, employee health and wellbeing policies and issues, addressing unacceptable workplace behaviours in a way that leads to commercial and fair outcomes, and navigating workplace investigations. Charlotte regularly represents clients at mediation and has appeared as counsel in all the relevant employment jurisdictions.

• 9:50 AM

  Networking break

• 9:55 AM

  Clarity on employee vs contractor arrangements

  The rise in flexible work arrangements has led to increasing challenges in defining the employee-contractor distinction. This session will provide guidance on mitigating risks when engaging with independent contractors, and on determining the true nature of a working relationship.

    

  • Understanding the key factors that define an employment vs contractor relationship 
  • Lessons from Arachchige v Rasier New Zealand Ltd & Uber BV [2020], E Tū Incorporated v Rasier Operations BV [2022] and Collaine v Kiril Ltd [2023] 
  • What are the wider implications of recent court decisions for the gig economy? 
  • Potential changes the Act Party is proposing for the Employment Relations Act 

  

  Fiona McMillan

  Partner
  Lane Neave

  ×

  

  Fiona McMillan

  Partner
  Lane Neave

  Fiona is a Partner of the employment law team and commenced her career with Lane Neave in 2007. Fiona specialises in assisting employers with all employment law related advice including collective bargaining, independent external investigations and human rights commission matters.

  Fiona has built strong relationships with a number of different industries, including corporate, tourism, the bus and coach industry and manufacturing. Fiona has a hands on style of practice which involves working in a business as opposed to working alongside it.

  Fiona regularly presents seminars to clients, industry bodies and at conferences.

• 10:35 AM

  Morning break

• 10:50 AM

  Managing personal grievance claims

  Personal grievance claims can be costly for employers and continue to increase significantly in costs. How can employers put policies and processes in place to manage personal grievance cases? This session will examine the latest trends in employment disputes, provide tips to minimise legal risks and discuss strategies to manage claims. 

   

  • Updates to the law on personal grievances relating to sexual harassment 
  • Lessons from Wilson-Grange Investments v Guerra [2023], FGH v RST [2023] and Henry v South Waikato Achievement Trust [2023] 
  • What trends are we seeing across recent employment disputes and ERA decisions? 

  

  Rebecca Rendle

  Partner
  Simpson Grierson

  ×

  

  Rebecca Rendle

  Partner
  Simpson Grierson

  Experienced in all aspects of employment law, her expertise includes advising on personal grievance claims, restructuring, holiday pay compliance and remediation, disciplinary, and performance management processes.

  A trusted advisor, Rebecca is known for her responsiveness and quick turnaround. She provides commercial and pragmatic advice on employment law matters to clients in a range of sectors, including health, education, local government, banking and finance, building, engineering and manufacturing, retail, and forestry.

  Rebecca regularly attends mediations and represents clients in the Employment Relations Authority and Employment Court.

• 11:25 AM

  Networking break

• 11:30 AM

  Health and safety in the modern workplace

  As what we consider to be “work” continues to evolve, how is health and safety legislation (and attitudes) changing? How are employer obligations evolving to manage the health and safety of remote workers? How are employers managing the prevalence of mental health challenges? In particular:  

   

  • Issues that arise in managing remote workers and remote work  
  • Psychosocial risks and regulation – how is Australia dealing with this and what is the position in New Zealand?  
  • Worker representation (what must employers do; what can they do?) 

  

  Kylie Dunn

  Partner
  Russell McVeagh

  ×

  

  Kylie Dunn

  Partner
  Russell McVeagh

  Kylie Dunn is a Partner in Russell McVeagh’s litigation team, specialising in employment law. She advises many large New Zealand employers on the full spectrum of employment related issues. In addition, Kylie works closely with Russell McVeagh’s HR team, and is the deputy chair of the firm’s summer clerk and graduate recruitment committee and its scholarship programme.

• 12:00 PM

  Lunch break

• 12:40 PM

  Gender pay gap reporting – insights from across the globe

  In advance of the introduction of legislation into New Zealand on gender pay gap reporting, this session will discuss the potential implications of a mandatory reporting system, and the obligations of employers, drawing on experiences of compulsory pay gap reporting across the world.  

   

  • Paths taken to implementation 
  • Legal sanctions for non-compliance  
  • External publishing of reports 
  • Requirements for reducing identified gender pay gaps 

  

  Laura Scampion

  Country Managing Partner
  DLA Piper

  ×

  

  Laura Scampion

  Country Managing Partner
  DLA Piper

  Laura Scampion is the New Zealand Country Managing Partner of DLA Piper, a global law firm with a presence in 40 countries. Laura is also Head of DLA Piper’s Employment team, specialising in all employment aspects of large non-contentious projects, having worked in the UK and NZ with a range of employers, many of whom are internationally listed companies.

  Laura has a significant pro bono practice; leads DLA Piper’s ESG programme; and was key in introducing HeadStart to New Zealand – a social mobility initiative aimed at breaking down socio economic barriers to a career in law.

  Laura sits on the Sustainable Business Council Advisory Board; sits on the OCS Advisory Board ; the Board of DLA Piper New Zealand and is a member of Global Women in New Zealand.

   

• 1:10 PM

  Networking break

• 1:15 PM

  AI in the workplace – mitigating risk

  There’s been a significant uptake in the use of generative AI in the workplace across organisations. As ChatGPT and other AI tools continue to gain traction, what are the potential legal implications of AI use at work? This session will examine the role of HR in mitigating risk, and how AI integration can affect employer obligations.  

   

  • Identifying key legal risks for businesses  
  • Creating clear policies and guidelines on the use of AI for work 
  • Looking ahead – can we expect AI-specific legislation in the future? 

  

  June Hardacre

  Partner
  MinterEllisonRuddWatts

  ×

  

  June Hardacre

  Partner
  MinterEllisonRuddWatts

  June is a respected employment specialist who advises private and public sector clients on all aspects of New Zealand employment law. 

  She acts for some of New Zealand’s best known organisations, such as Television New Zealand, The Warehouse Group, Metlifecare, Deloitte, Qantas, and Rabobank, as well as clients in the tech, start-up, and cryptocurrency space. Her practice also includes advising on health and safety, remuneration and incentives, data protection, and employee privacy matters. June has international expertise, having practised at Linklaters in London for several years. 

  June has a personal and friendly style. She provides accessible and commercially sound advice to her clients and achieves outcomes for clients that do not compromise values. She has applied this approach during negotiations with unions on collective bargaining and industrial disputes, and while advising on conduct, bullying, and harassment investigations for a range of major New Zealand organisations. June represents her clients at mediations through to Employment Court hearings and has significant litigation experience. 

  Ranked as a Next Generation Partner for data protection in The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, June is an expert in the interface between technology, privacy, and employment laws. She assists clients with the challenges of managing data privacy concerns (including how to future-proof a workforce within the existing legal framework and how to respond to major data breach incidents) and has worked closely with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner on several investigations. 

  Described by clients as “great to work with” (The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2022), June works alongside her clients as a trusted adviser to find solutions for their needs. 

  A frequent media commentator on employment law, health and safety, general privacy and data protection, and governance matters, June enjoys presenting at external conferences and holds industry and sector training. 

• 1:45 PM

  Afternoon break

• 2:00 PM

  How to manage difficult disciplinary processes

  Despite careful planning, disciplinary action rarely runs smoothly. This session will discuss the most common challenges and curveballs that employers face when managing poor employee performance.   

   

  • How to navigate curveballs in the disciplinary process  
  • Addressing delay tactics by employees during the disciplinary process 
  • Tips to avoid further complication and delay of procedures  
  • Guidance on dealing with combative employees 

  

  Liz Coats

  Partner
  Bell Gully

  ×

  

  Liz Coats

  Partner
  Bell Gully

  Liz is a specialist employment lawyer who delivers practical, commercially-focused advice.

  Liz has extensive experience advising on a range of employment issues. She regularly advises employers on Holidays Act compliance, redundancy and restructuring issues, managing poor performance, disciplinary processes, and restraints of trade. She also advises on health and safety and privacy matters.

  Liz works to reduce the time and cost for clients when settling employment disputes and is experienced in all forms of dispute resolution. If formal litigation is unavoidable, she has substantial experience in mediation, the Employment Relations Authority, Employment Court and Court of Appeal.

• 2:35 PM

  Networking break

• 2:40 PM

  Discipline and termination: Lessons from the Employment Court

  One of New Zealand’s most prominent lawyers discusses the key takeaways from the most influential cases of the last 12 months.

   

  • How have judges been ruling on termination cases? 
  • Lessons from the recent Employment Court decisions in New Zealand Steel Ltd v Haddad [2023], Rock v DJ Investments 2019 Ltd [2023] and GF v Comptroller of Customs [2023] 
  • Trends in employee compensation rulings

  

  Sherridan Cook

  Partner
  Buddle Findlay

  ×

  

  Sherridan Cook

  Partner
  Buddle Findlay

  Sherridan specialises in employment, industrial relations and health and safety as well as litigation and dispute resolution.

  Sherridan advises a wide range of private and public sector clients across the full ambit of employment and health and safety issues. He has considerable strength in industrial relations and employment related litigation, including confidentiality and restraint of trade disputes.

  Sherridan has particular expertise in property and construction disputes, including Construction Contracts Act adjudications, leasehold disputes and rent reviews, as well as contractual, company and intellectual property disputes and judicial review.

  Sherridan regularly appears in the Employment Relations Authority, the Employment Court, the High Court and appellate courts, and at arbitrations and mediations.

  Sherridan has been admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales (2002) and is a qualified Solicitor-Advocate of the Higher Courts of England and Wales (2003).

  Sherridan is the consulting editor of the Lexis Nexis publication Health and Safety Law Made Easy, second edition – A comprehensive guide to New Zealand’s health and safety scheme.

   

• 3:20 PM

  Q&A: Addressing additional concerns in employment law

  In this interactive session, delegates will have the opportunity to ask the speaker questions relating to various employment law concerns. 
  

  

  Sherridan Cook

  Partner
  Buddle Findlay

  ×

  

  Sherridan Cook

  Partner
  Buddle Findlay

  Sherridan specialises in employment, industrial relations and health and safety as well as litigation and dispute resolution.

  Sherridan advises a wide range of private and public sector clients across the full ambit of employment and health and safety issues. He has considerable strength in industrial relations and employment related litigation, including confidentiality and restraint of trade disputes.

  Sherridan has particular expertise in property and construction disputes, including Construction Contracts Act adjudications, leasehold disputes and rent reviews, as well as contractual, company and intellectual property disputes and judicial review.

  Sherridan regularly appears in the Employment Relations Authority, the Employment Court, the High Court and appellate courts, and at arbitrations and mediations.

  Sherridan has been admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales (2002) and is a qualified Solicitor-Advocate of the Higher Courts of England and Wales (2003).

  Sherridan is the consulting editor of the Lexis Nexis publication Health and Safety Law Made Easy, second edition – A comprehensive guide to New Zealand’s health and safety scheme.

   

• 3:35 PM

  Event concludes