Autumn is most definitely upon us with cooler weather and the trees starting to turn into those brilliant colours we love.
On the HR front, it’s time to think about updating wages for anyone who is on or close to the minimum wage. This applies equally to both waged and salaried employees.
Salaried Employees & The Minimum Wage
With the increase in the minimum wage to $23.15 from 1 April 2024, it’s important to note that for salaried employees on a salary of $52,000 or less a year, there isn’t much wiggle room for overtime.
And if you have an employee who regularly works overtime there is the potential for you to be in breach of minimum wage legislation – in fact there is only just over 3 hours of wiggle room a week for an employee contracted to work 40 hours a week.
It’s important to be aware of any extra hours they may be working and ensure they are paid at least the minimum wage in any given pay period.
Check your Employment Agreements
Along with reviewing wages, it’s also a great time to look at your employment agreements. We see all sorts of agreements when we are working with our clients. We recently reviewed an agreement which referenced 1991 legislation – this was replaced in 2003 and there have been several updates since!
If you haven’t updated your master agreement templates, now is a good time. Any new agreements for new hires or an existing employee must reflect the change in timeframes for raising personal grievances related to sexual harassment (now 12 months).
Here is a simple checklist to help you decide if your employment agreements are up to date with HR legislation changes.
- Do your agreements talk about trial periods – they’re back in for all employers now!
- Do your agreements reference the new 12-month timeframe for raising personal grievances related to sexual harassment?
- Do they reference bereavement leave in relation to miscarriages and stillbirths?
- If you have a clause which references the Privacy Act, does it refer to the 2020 Act?
- Do your agreements refer to 10 days sick leave?
- Do you have a generic deduction from wages clause that includes consultation?
- If you have a clause which references our health & safety act, does it reference the Health & Safety at Work Act 2015?
If you answered no to any of these questions, it’s time to get out your agreements and update them! We haven’t listed all the changes that have occurred over recent years but if you do have any concerns your agreements might be out of date, get in touch with us.
Supporting Wellbeing
And lastly on our Autumn HR checklist is giving consideration to how you support wellbeing amongst the team. More and more, we see employers being asked to have wellbeing programmes in place.
These programmes don’t need to be elaborate, but they should be relevant and demonstrate care for your employees. The options are endless, from a simple check-in to fresh fruit Fridays, wellness benefits and unlimited sick leave.
If you have any questions and would like to have a chat, give us a call on 07 823 3250.
