Few readers will have heard about the plight of a Ms Gosain who until recently worked for the Punjab National Bank in England.

Gosain raised some concerns with her employer. As a result, she attended a disciplinary and grievance meeting with her employer in an attempt to resolve the issues. More...

When I started working as a law clerk in a large Wellington law firm, word processing technology was in its infancy.

Letters would be sent to a typist and could be polished a couple of times. Any changes resulted in the whole document being retyped.

Then came the word processor. which greatly reduced the time and resources required for correspondence. Now we have the internet, email and smartphones. All of these developments have impacted significantly on employers, workers and employment law generally.

Businesses have no doubt become more efficient and profitable as a result of instantaneous communications. But the other consequence is that those sending emails tend to expect an immediate response. The more leisurely and considered way of responding within a few days seems to have vanished.  More...

Readers will no doubt be taking note of the Football World Cup under way in Brazil. The World Cup is regarded by some as the world's largest and most-watched sporting event. While New Zealand is not involved this time, our enthusiasm for the tournament does not appear to have dampened.

The tournament continues until mid-July and many of the games are scheduled for early to mid-morning. There will no doubt be many an employee who arrives late to work or watches games on their work computer. But what does the law have to say about this? More...

The 2014 general election promises to be hard fought. But besides a potential change in government, readers may be interested to learn how the election will impact on ministerial staff in the Beehive.

About $1 million is being set aside by Ministerial Services to cover the cost of staff "redundancies" in the Beehive after the election, and that is if National is re-elected. If Labour and the Greens take power, then that bill is estimated to be $3.5 million.  More...

Cricket came to New Zealand from England. Readers who have toured the English countryside will, like me, have seen the young players practising on the village green. The sound of willow meeting leather is part of English folklore.

The culture that cricket emerged from is one of decency and high standards. But the "gentleman's game" seems to have taken a turn for the worse.  More...

Some readers may have heard of Dr Raj Mattu, a cardiologist at Walsgrave Hospital in Britain, who was dismissed after blowing the whistle on what he believed to be unsafe practices at the hospital.

In 2001, Mattu publicly exposed overcrowding and his fears for public safety in the Cardiac Unit, claiming that there may have been avoidable deaths as a result. In particular, he was alarmed about a policy which required the accommodation of five patients in rooms designed for a maximum of four.

Mattu had earlier raised the concerns with his employer on multiple occasions. The concerns fell on deaf ears, however, so he went public.  More...

Ageism is an issue that consistently lurks beneath the surface of employment decisions. In many countries, including New Zealand, human rights legislation prohibits discrimination on the basis of age. However, that doesn't stop it.

Recently Michael Buerk, a BBC news reader, has created controversy with his colourful comments about female television presenters.

Buerk has criticised female television and media workers who complain about losing their jobs when they reach an advanced age. He said it was "fair enough" for television companies to get rid of older employees to "prune the raspberries to make way for new growth".  More...

A good reference is a precious commodity for anybody seeking work. However, an employee that leaves following a dispute with their employer, be it a personal grievance, litigation or otherwise, is unlikely to have their praises sung to a potential new employer.

Robert Lewis was employed by JP Morgan Chase as the Chief Executive of its New Zealand operations.

By March 2010, things had soured between the employee and his employer to the point that Lewis brought a personal grievance alleging that he had been unjustifiably disadvantaged.  More...

Many readers who have been unsuccessful in applying for a job will have wondered why they were passed over. A recent decision of the Human Rights Review Tribunal has caused an outcry when an unsuccessful candidate for a position was given the right to view the CVs of other applicants for the same role.