OnPoint Consulting NZ

14/05/2026

When did you last review your employment agreements?

If the answer is “I’m not sure,” that’s your answer.

At minimum, once a year. More often if roles, hours, or conditions are changing. Undocumented changes become implied terms, and implied terms become liability.

12/05/2026

What protects you when a personal grievance is raised?

Documentation. Genuine consultation. Following the process set out in your employment agreements.

That’s the full list. Employers who get through these situations without major damage are the ones who wrote things down, had the right conversations, and can prove it.

10/05/2026

Employee starts Monday. Agreement isn’t signed yet?

You’re in breach. Your trial period clause is invalid. Every protection that agreement would have given you is gone.

Sign before day one. Every time.

07/05/2026

By law, every NZ employment agreement must include the names of both parties, the work to be performed, place of work, agreed hours, and pay rate.

Beyond that, you need a variation clause, wage deduction terms, and a dispute resolution process. Trial periods need specific wording and must be signed before day one.

Gaps here are where disputes get traction.

05/05/2026

Myth: once a personal grievance is raised, you have to settle.

Fact: if you’ve followed proper process and acted in good faith, you have a defensible position.

NZ employment law is balanced. The reason outcomes lean toward employees is usually that employers cut corners, not because the law is stacked against them.

Getting the right advice tells you when to hold your ground.

03/05/2026

When employment relations issues get complicated, process is what protects you.

Personal grievances, disciplinary matters, investigations, restructures. We help NZ businesses handle them properly.

Reach out to find out how we can help.

30/04/2026

A handshake agreement is legally binding in New Zealand.

If someone has been doing work for you, an employment relationship exists. If what they’ve been doing doesn’t match what’s in their agreement, the reality on the ground wins.

Document every change. Every single one.

28/04/2026

A personal grievance settlement for a senior role reached $180,000.

That’s not an outlier. That’s what happens when process is skipped and the matter drags on.

Representation costs, remedies for stress and loss of dignity, and the time involved all stack up fast. Getting expert advice early is the cheapest decision you’ll make.

26/04/2026

Employment agreements. Policies. Job descriptions. Onboarding.

The HR foundations every NZ business needs. If you’re not confident yours are solid, they probably aren’t.

We can help you get them right.

23/04/2026

Ten years. Multiple role changes. Not one variation put in writing.

When that employment relationship broke down, the employer had nothing solid to stand on. What the employee was actually doing became the implied agreement, and the business was liable for all of it.

An outdated employment agreement isn’t just admin backlog. It’s a liability.

Learn more here:

She’d been with the company for over a decade. In that time, her role had changed, her position title had changed, her hours had changed, and her days had changed. Not once. Multiple times across a decade.