And now for the good news…
Business confidence is continuing to rise according to Chamber of Commerce members in the latest Quarterly Business Confidence Poll. Whilst the results are still provisional the indication is that for the fifth successive quarter, the level of business optimism has increased in regard to how Northland businesses view both the economy’s overall performance and how they assess their own prospects in the period ahead.
The indicators which are gradually improving are; Business Optimism, Business prospects and a reducing number of people believing that business conditions are deteriorating.
Widely reported claims by economic commentators last year predicting a fall in NZ business optimism through 2006 have turned out to be 100% wrong, as far as businesses in the Northern Regional Chamber of Commerce catchment area. In fact, the exact opposite trend has occurred as business confidence has steadily improved throughout the year.
In December last year nearly 60% of businesses were predicting the business environment to deteriorate in 2006. But in every survey since, the level of pessimism has dropped with just 18% now picking that the business environment will get worse next year.
Despite recent warnings from the Reserve Bank that interest rates may be forced to rise next year, 37% of respondents believe they will increase compared to 43% of this view at the last survey in September. Similarly, a recent fall in New Zealand’s terms of trade has been ignored by business in assessing their prospects in the period ahead.
Part of the explanation for the improved optimism could relate to a growing belief that the Government is serious in wanting to encourage business to improve productivity and address basic infrastructure issues such as transport and energy.
Our events calendar is slowly filling up for 2007 if you are not a subscriber to our e-letter we encourage you to do so by entering your details at our website http://www.northchamber.co.nz/ to keep abreast of the latest business news and events happening around Northland.
Meanwhile Christmas is on every ones mind, diaries are full of events to attend celebrating festive cheer as wallets empty to purchase those presents we all love to give and receive.
Remember shop Northland!! Everything on your wish list is right here in Northland and we really do have the most accessible and diverse shopping in the country. While summer is still struggling to find us, Christmas is the time retailers wait all year for to boost sales.
2007 will have implications for businesses with changes to annual leave entitlement and introduction of Kiwi Saver, but those subjects can wait for another time. Now is the time to savour Christmas and all that it means to you. Be safe, be well, be happy and enjoy time with family and friends. From the Board and Staff at the Northland Chamber of Commerce Merry Christmas and best wishes for a brilliant New Year!!
Northland Chamber of Commerce is the networking, education, advocacy and marketing group for Northland business, and is part of a nationwide network of 30 and a world-wide movement of 27,000 chambers. Subscription to the free fortnightly chamber e-news can be arranged on info@northchamber.co.nz. Enquiries to 09-4384771 or www.northchamber.co.nz , www.kaiparachamber.co.nz and www.farnorthchamber.co.nz
You can have a say on this by going to the Northland Chamber of Commerce Feedback website on www.northchamber.blogspot.com
14 December 2006
04 December 2006
Northland Employers Christmas Holiday Guide….
What do I pay an employee for working on a public holiday? Can I require employees to work on a public holiday? Can I operate a Christmas Closedown? How are annual holidays paid?
Christmas is only 3 weeks away. Hopefully all Northland Businesses are flat out looking after customers and producing products and services for their customers.
For employees this time of the year is one to look forward to with looming holidays on the not so distant horizon. For employers this time of the year is one that can be fraught with difficulties and complex legislation if not carefully planned for.
The Northland Chamber of Commerce has a guide to public Holidays and Christmas / New Year 2006 on our web site as a service to Northland Employers. This guide has a list of the 17 most frequently asked Questions regarding Christmas / New Year Holiday period. This guide is designed to take the complication out of sometimes confusing legislation. Down load the guide from the front page of our website www.northchamber.co.nz There is also an easy to follow flow chart to simplify the process even further
For the record here the answers to the above questions..
What do I pay an employee for working on a public holiday?
If an employee works on a public holiday that employee is entitled to be paid, for the hours the employee works on that day, at the greater of (1) the employee’s “relevant daily pay” if it includes a penal rate that is more than time and a half or (2) the employee’s “relevant daily pay” less any penal rate that is less than time and a half, plus half that daily pay again (with the penal rate removed) i.e. time and a half excluding any contractual penal rate.
Note an employee is only entitled under the Holidays Act 2003 to payment for the actual hours worked on the day not the hours an employee would normally work on that day. As an example if an employee normally works 8 but only works 3 hours on a public holiday that employee is only entitled to be paid for working 3 hours.
Can I require employees to work on a public holiday?
You can only require employees to work on a public holiday if the public holiday would “otherwise be a working day” for the employee and the employment agreement requires the employee to work on the public holiday.
Can I still operate a Christmas close down?
Yes, as long as you have customarily had a Christmas close down.
How are annual holidays paid?
Annual holidays are to be calculated and paid at the greater of the employee’s “average weekly earnings” or “ordinary weekly pay” at the time the holiday is taken. The “average” weekly earnings is the employee’s “gross earnings” divided by 52. The “ordinary weekly pay” is the pay an employee receives under his or her employment agreement in an ordinary week and includes commission, bonuses, productivity, incentive pay, overtime, if they form part of the employee’s regular pay and the cash value of any board and lodgings provided by the employer. However, it excludes
any of the above listed payments (except the cash value of board and lodgings), if they are not part of an employee’s regular pay as well as one off exceptional payments and any discretionary payments that the employer is not bound by the terms of employment to pay to the employee. If it is not possible to calculate “ordinary weekly pay” on
this basis, the Holidays Act 2003 provides a formula.
But wait there’s more…
The Northland Chamber of Commerce also has a range of other useful how to’s available from the www.chamber.co.nz website – these include Employment information such as Pre employment checklist, recruiting, interviewing, discrimination, contracts, legislation, health & safety, retention and performance reviews, Annual Holidays. There is also the result of the 2006 / 2007 Salary Survey. This is handy for checking on the going rate of salaries for workers in over 180 occupations.
Some of these guides will require a log in and password, if your business is a Northland Chamber member they will have this otherwise please call us for membership details.
The Holidays Information above is kindly supplied by Hesketh Henry Lawyers and the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. It is intended as a guide only and specific information for your business should be sought by an employment specialist.The Northland Chamber of Commerce is the networking, education, advocacy and marketing group for Northland business, and is part of a nationwide network of 30 and a world-wide movement of 27,000 chambers. Subscription to the free fortnightly chamber e-news can be arranged on info@northchamber.co.nz. Enquiries to 09-4384771 or www.northchamber.co.nz , www.kaiparachamber.co.nz and www.farnorthchamber.co.nz
You can have a say on this by going to the Northland Chamber of Commerce Feedback website on www.northchamber.blogspot.com
What do I pay an employee for working on a public holiday? Can I require employees to work on a public holiday? Can I operate a Christmas Closedown? How are annual holidays paid?
Christmas is only 3 weeks away. Hopefully all Northland Businesses are flat out looking after customers and producing products and services for their customers.
For employees this time of the year is one to look forward to with looming holidays on the not so distant horizon. For employers this time of the year is one that can be fraught with difficulties and complex legislation if not carefully planned for.
The Northland Chamber of Commerce has a guide to public Holidays and Christmas / New Year 2006 on our web site as a service to Northland Employers. This guide has a list of the 17 most frequently asked Questions regarding Christmas / New Year Holiday period. This guide is designed to take the complication out of sometimes confusing legislation. Down load the guide from the front page of our website www.northchamber.co.nz There is also an easy to follow flow chart to simplify the process even further
For the record here the answers to the above questions..
What do I pay an employee for working on a public holiday?
If an employee works on a public holiday that employee is entitled to be paid, for the hours the employee works on that day, at the greater of (1) the employee’s “relevant daily pay” if it includes a penal rate that is more than time and a half or (2) the employee’s “relevant daily pay” less any penal rate that is less than time and a half, plus half that daily pay again (with the penal rate removed) i.e. time and a half excluding any contractual penal rate.
Note an employee is only entitled under the Holidays Act 2003 to payment for the actual hours worked on the day not the hours an employee would normally work on that day. As an example if an employee normally works 8 but only works 3 hours on a public holiday that employee is only entitled to be paid for working 3 hours.
Can I require employees to work on a public holiday?
You can only require employees to work on a public holiday if the public holiday would “otherwise be a working day” for the employee and the employment agreement requires the employee to work on the public holiday.
Can I still operate a Christmas close down?
Yes, as long as you have customarily had a Christmas close down.
How are annual holidays paid?
Annual holidays are to be calculated and paid at the greater of the employee’s “average weekly earnings” or “ordinary weekly pay” at the time the holiday is taken. The “average” weekly earnings is the employee’s “gross earnings” divided by 52. The “ordinary weekly pay” is the pay an employee receives under his or her employment agreement in an ordinary week and includes commission, bonuses, productivity, incentive pay, overtime, if they form part of the employee’s regular pay and the cash value of any board and lodgings provided by the employer. However, it excludes
any of the above listed payments (except the cash value of board and lodgings), if they are not part of an employee’s regular pay as well as one off exceptional payments and any discretionary payments that the employer is not bound by the terms of employment to pay to the employee. If it is not possible to calculate “ordinary weekly pay” on
this basis, the Holidays Act 2003 provides a formula.
But wait there’s more…
The Northland Chamber of Commerce also has a range of other useful how to’s available from the www.chamber.co.nz website – these include Employment information such as Pre employment checklist, recruiting, interviewing, discrimination, contracts, legislation, health & safety, retention and performance reviews, Annual Holidays. There is also the result of the 2006 / 2007 Salary Survey. This is handy for checking on the going rate of salaries for workers in over 180 occupations.
Some of these guides will require a log in and password, if your business is a Northland Chamber member they will have this otherwise please call us for membership details.
The Holidays Information above is kindly supplied by Hesketh Henry Lawyers and the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. It is intended as a guide only and specific information for your business should be sought by an employment specialist.The Northland Chamber of Commerce is the networking, education, advocacy and marketing group for Northland business, and is part of a nationwide network of 30 and a world-wide movement of 27,000 chambers. Subscription to the free fortnightly chamber e-news can be arranged on info@northchamber.co.nz. Enquiries to 09-4384771 or www.northchamber.co.nz , www.kaiparachamber.co.nz and www.farnorthchamber.co.nz
You can have a say on this by going to the Northland Chamber of Commerce Feedback website on www.northchamber.blogspot.com
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