Articles and News

Requirements for workplaces at Level 3 are:

• People must work from home if that is possible,
• Contactless,
• Physical distancing for workers,
• Contact tracing.

Is your business feeling the immediate effects of COVID-19 on your livelihood? What are your options and what can you do? It may not be easy, but it’ll be worth it.

The Incorporated Societies Bill 2021 is now making its way through Parliament.  Replacing the Incorporated Societies Act 1908. It is set to clarify and modernise the law concerning societies and will impact all of New Zealand’s 24,000 clubs and societies.

The Privacy Act 2020 is scheduled to come into effect on 1 December 2020, and it is important that businesses and organisations are ready – find out what your obligations are

This is an update on our previous note on leases at Level 4

In this note we examine the implications of the move from Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 3 for landlords and tenants of commercial leases. 

What is the effect of the change from Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 3 on leases? Will ADLS clause 27.5 still be relevant?

The Government today announced what level 3 could look like for business...

Without the proposed temporary changes to the Companies Act directors could face personal liability for their company’s debts if they allowed a company with cash flow or other solvency issues to continue trading.

Are employees still paid for public holidays if they are not working because of COVID-19? And if so, how much are they paid?

The wording of the lease will be critical to determining rights commercial tenants have to relief from paying rent and outgoings during the lock-down period.

Legal advice is crucial before taking action.

Employers can apply for a lump sum payment for their employees over 12 weeks if they have experienced a 30% actual or predicted decline in revenue due to COVID-19, over the period of a month when compared to a month last year.

Before bringing a contract to an end on the grounds of frustration we strongly recommend you to talk to one of our commercial lawyers to avoid being held liable for breach of contract.

A $6.25 billion scheme is available for lending to small and medium-sized businesses with an annual turnover between $250,000 and $80 million per annum.

We’ve been giving a lot of thought to how Gibson Sheat might be able to help you with the challenges you might face in the coming period. Keep an eye out for our updates on this.

It is common to see a restraint of trade clause in an employment agreement or an agreement for the sale and purchase of a business. But what about independent contractor agreements?
Can an independent contractor be subject to a restraint of trade?

National Research Bureau recently recorded that 130,000 businesses will be for sale in the next 10 years. This means business owners need to give the matter of sale or succession due consideration. Some business owners will have a succession plan - other won't...