Labour hire in Auckland is an important part of the city’s economy. If you are hiring workers to work for you, you should make sure you understand your legal obligations. You also need to consider how a labour hire company’s reputation affects your project. Finally, you will need to consider the cost of the service.
Costs
If you’re looking to move to Auckland, New Zealand you’re probably wondering how much it will cost. Buying a home here can be expensive.
The average cost of a new home in New Zealand is around NZ$850,000. Prices vary considerably from region to region.
The city of Auckland has the highest prices of any of the country’s major cities. This can be offset by cheaper living costs. However, it’s not the only place you can buy a home. You can also purchase one outside of the city.
When it comes to labour hire in Auckland, there are various options to choose from. Labour-hire agencies can help you scale your workforce as needed. These companies also have a reputation for providing reliable workers. They can also handle some of the more mundane aspects of hiring.
Aside from providing employees, a good labour-hire company can save you on pension savings, sick leave and overtime payments. Their screening process can help you ensure that you’re not wasting money.
Health and safety obligations
In New Zealand, the health and safety obligations for labour hire have been updated with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. This law came into effect on April 4, 2016. The Act explains the terms and where workers fit in. It is especially relevant to the construction industry, but it applies to all industries in the country.
The law is aimed at reducing work-related injuries and illnesses by 25 per cent by 2020. While the legislation is not mandatory, it requires businesses to cooperate to ensure the health and safety of staff, visitors and subcontractors.
Businesses should also make sure their workers are properly trained in health and safety. This includes using proper protective gear, as well as being aware of and enforcing workplace health and safety policies.
Labour-hire firms say the new amendments are unworkable and are likely to lead to increased compliance costs. A number of unions have warned that the new legislation would increase paperwork, costs and erode jobs.
Reputation
One of the many questions I get is what makes a labour hire business stand out from the crowd. Aside from the requisite licensing and accreditation, do you have the right kind of personnel, a solid workplace culture and a robust insurance plan? The short answer is yes and no. Despite the above mentioned perks, many employees do not have a clear understanding of what they are actually working for. With that in mind, you can count on the number of workers at any one time being skewed. The best way to address this is to proactively recruit top talent by ensuring that they have a clear understanding of their compensation and entitlements. It may be a challenge, but a well planned employee retention programme should see you through. Having said that, there have been many examples of misfeasance resulting from a lack of a unified HR plan. Hence, it is imperative that you have a comprehensive HR policy in place to avoid these common pitfalls.
Problems with labour-hire workers
Labour hire workers in New Zealand face an increasing number of problems. Workers have been on-sold to companies for months at a time, and many have no legal protections. There’s little awareness of their rights, and they often don’t speak up when they are in trouble.
One worker in a crowded motel unit had to buy paracetamol after his boss refused to take him to the doctor. Another migrant worker was dropped from a roster after 15 months.
In the last two decades, the growth of labour hire has been dramatic. There are now more than 400 million workers worldwide working on labour hire contracts. Many of them are migrants, and they have little bargaining power.
A recent Queensland state government inquiry into the labour-hire industry found some workers were hired on sham contracts. Others weren’t paid holiday or pension entitlements.
The Labour Inspectorate and the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission have made a number of recommendations. They include better enforcement through the labour inspectorate and improved clarity on employment contracts. Other suggestions include allowing RSE workers to switch employers and to return home early.