Kiwi workers take advantage of Easter with annual leave
One in 10 Kiwi employees has booked three days annual leave to stretch their Easter/Anzac Day long weekends into a 10-day break according to Expedia.
Gen X workers were the most likely to cash in their annual leave than any other age group according to the findings. The most popular destinations for the Easter break are the US particularly LA, Las Vegas and San Francisco, Fiji and Australia. Domestically Queenstown, Auckland, Wellington and Rotorua are top locations for an extended break.
Firm to pay $104,000 over workplace death
Waikato company Wealleans Groundspread Limited has been fined $33,750 and ordered to pay reparation of $70,000 over the death of a worker in June 2013.
Tyler Old was operating a specially adapted truck, which spread fertiliser from a hopper via a chain conveyor, on a dairy farm in Matamata. Nobody saw the incident, but it appears Old climbed into the hopper and got trapped in the conveyor. He suffered fatal crush injuries.
Wealleans Groundspread pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to take all practicable steps to ensure Old’s safety.
Piping contractor fined over explosion
Piping contractor, Canadian Pacific Limited, has been fined $55,250 over a 2011 explosion in an Onehunga water pipe that killed one worker and left another a double amputee.
Canadian Pacific was found guilty in the Auckland District Court in December, and was sentenced last week on charges of failing to take all practicable steps to protect employees and failing to take all practicable steps to protect others.
The Judge found Canadian Pacific had failed to identify the hazard of explosive gas, did not carry out atmosphere testing or monitoring either prior to or during ‘hotwork’ (such as welding) and did not instruct its employees to follow Watercare Services’ restricted area procedure.
Watercare Services, which contracted Canadian Pacific to conduct the work on the water main, was last year fined $81,000 and ordered to pay reparations of $315,000 over the same incident.
Entries open for the EEO Trust Diversity Awards
Entries are now open for the EEO Trust Diversity Awards NZ 2014. Organisations from any sector across New Zealand are invited to enter. There are eight categories with a Supreme Winner being chosen from the winners of each category.
Entries close on Friday June 20th, with the Awards gala dinner taking place in Auckland on August 27th.
To find out more, to download an application form or to see the stories of past winners visit
www.eeotrust.org.nz
Sky City/AUT sign up for Rainbow Tick
Sky City and AUT University are the latest organisations to sign up to the Rainbow Tick programme.
The Rainbow Tick demonstrates that an organisation is a welcoming and inclusive place for people for the LGBTI communities.
Jobs market full of opportunity
The New Zealand job market is continuing to thrive, according to an analysis of over 50,000 roles listed on
Trade Me Jobs in the first quarter of 2014.
Head of Trade Me Jobs, Peter Osborne, said the number of job listings on the site had lifted 21% year-on-year, following on from a 17% lift in the final quarter of 2013.
The Auckland region saw a 20% boost in job listings when compared to the same period last year, with central Auckland and Manukau experiencing significant jumps in year-on-year growth.
Canterbury job listings were up 24% on the same time last year, with Christchurch city’s available roles also ticking up 24%. The Wellington job market is also in good shape with a 26% tick up in advertised roles on a year ago.
There has been a 41% increase in advertised roles in Southland and the number of roles advertised in the Taranaki region also lifted significantly, up 16% on a year ago.
