Employment

Employing staff can be a daunting process. Thankfully, there are resources available that clearly outline the legal and ethical rights and responsibilities of both employers and employees.

A great starting point for event organisers considering employing staff is the Employment New Zealand website, which covers the important details and considerations for the hiring process, active employment, and ending of employment.

Tips:

Types of employment

In an event context, considerations need to be made regarding the type of employment arrangement you could offer to event staff.

• Will the staff member be an employee or contractor?
• Will their employment be permanent or fixed term?
• Will the employee be learning on the job as an apprentice or trainee?
• Will the hours of work offered be on a casual basis, part-time or full time?

Employment agreement

• You must give every employee a written employment agreement, making it clear what is expected from them and what they’re entitled to while working for you.
• Business.govt.nz offers a helpful employment agreement builder that you can use to create an employment agreement for your employees.

Employer and employee rights and responsibilities

• Employers and employees have important rights and responsibilities towards each other.
• Once you’ve hired an employee, you and your employee can agree to amend the terms and conditions in their employment contract, but at least the minimum entitlements as set by the law must be provided.

The hiring process

• When you hire a new employee, you need to act fairly throughout the hiring process and avoid discriminating against people based on sex, age, race or other illegal grounds.
• Employers can use tests and checks including police vetting, or a criminal record check, as well as trials and probationary periods to ensure employees are suitable for the job.

Pay and holidays

• Pay can include wages, salary, and commission. Learn more about pay and holidays on the Employment New Zealand website.
• Minimum wage rates apply to all employees aged 16 and over.
• Employees are entitled to annual holidays, public holidays, sick leave, bereavement leave, parental leave and other types of leave, as long as they meet certain conditions.

Fair work practices

• Fair work practices balance the rights and responsibilities of employees and employers. They establish clear and consistent expectations and support the mana and dignity of everyone in the workplace.

Resolving problems

• There are many types of issues that can occur in an employment relationship. How they should be dealt with will depend on the nature of the problem and the parties concerned.

Ending employment

• There are several ways in which employment relationships may be ended, such as resignation, retirement, dismissal or redundancy.

Useful Links:

• Employment New Zealand | Employment services, tools and resources
• Employment New Zealand | Starting employment
• Employment New Zealand | Types of worker
• Business.govt.nz | Employment Agreement Builder
• New Zealand Police | NZ Police vetting service
• Ministry of Justice | Criminal record check

Have you considered?

• What roles are required to effectively manage your event? Learn more about recommended roles and responsibilities in the Building your Team section.
• Have you considered volunteers or fundraising groups to fulfil specific roles within your event team? Learn more in the toolkit’s Volunteers and Fundraising Groups section.