Industry Updates – March 2019

Anna RobertsonClubland Newsletter

Upcoming Employment Law Changes
In 2018 the Government passed two bills relating to employment law which come into force in 2019. The changes are mostly focussed on enhancing employee and union rights.
As a result, in 2019 you will need to review your employment agreements, policies and practices to ensure they reflect these changes.

  • Domestic violence – Victims’ Protection Act 2018
  • The Employment Relations Amendment Act 2018

See this useful summary of these two pieces of legislation and what they mean for you.

Increase in Minimum Wage – April 1 2019
The minimum wage in NZ is increasing on 1 April 2019 to $17.70 per hour.
We have adjusted the Gymnastics NZ Payscale Guidelines to reflect this. Please note that there are three types of minimum wage that can be applied to young coaches:

  • Adult minimum wage
  • Starting out minimum wage
  • Training minimum wage

Find more information from Employment NZ to help you determine which applies to your coaches.

Health & Safety
Tackling Workplace Stress
As was discussed in the last edition of Clubland, looking after the mental health and wellbeing of workers in our clubs is an important part of a club’s responsibilities under the Health & Safety at Work Act 2015.
Workplace stress caused by high workloads, poor work/life balance and stressful work are the top three causes of poor mental health at work. That’s why the Mental Health Foundation (MHF) is calling for New Zealand to make 2019 the year we take workplace stress seriously, and work together to address it. To support this, the MHF has a new, free resource: Minimising and Managing Workplace Stress.
The changes to the number and type of events as part of Project 2020 is a key part of tackling this, particularly the high workload and poor work/life balance aspects of workplace stress. With clubs attending huge numbers of competitions each year, this puts an incredible strain on coaches and judges as well as athletes. A more manageable competition load, as well as direction for clubs around what level coaches need to be at what level competitions, will create some much needed breathing space.
MHF have also put together a resource to provide managers with practical tips to help with conversations about mental health in the workplace.
This MHF Guide for Managers provides information and guidance for managers to support someone experiencing mental distress with the aim to retain them in the workforce.

Gymnastics NZ Health & Safety Guidelines
The Gymnastics NZ Health & Safety Guidelines takes you through everything you need to do in a way that is practical and relevant to gymnastics clubs.
Using this resource, commit to working on one area of health & safety per week or per month to keep you moving forward. Contact your Gymnastics NZ Regional Relationship Manager if you would like more support with health & safety.
There are many myths relating to health and safety – have a read through this article by WorkSafe NZ which explains and dispels many of these.

Notifiable Events – what to report
It is very important to remember that Clubs must report any notifiable events to both WorkSafe NZ and Gymnastics NZ as soon as possible after occurring.
See more information about how to determine whether something is notifiable. Remember you can always contact WorkSafe to check.

Police Vetting
A reminder that police vetting needs to be re-done every two years. For many, this could be coming up soon, if it hasn’t already done so.
Police vetting is a legal requirement if your club is delivering to school or OSCAR groups. If not, it is strongly recommended that all clubs carry out safety checking of all staff and volunteers who are coaching children in your club. As of 2018, this became a Gymnastics NZ requirement for affiliated clubs and this is likely to be something that funders increasingly look for in the future.
See the process for police vetting.

Club Health & Safety
For more information on where to start with improving club health and safety, take some time to read through the Gymnastics NZ Health & Safety Guidelines. Whether you are starting from scratch or have a fairly good idea of what you are doing, this document will give you the direction you need.
At an absolute minimum your club must have a Risk Assessment and Management Plan that covers all its operations. If you need any support in this area, please contact your Gymnastics NZ Relationship Manager.

Inland Revenue
Attached is an update from IRD covering:

  • An update on payday filing, which is mandatory from 1 April
  • A reminder of the proposed changes to income tax
  • Details of IRD’s shutdown period in April to allow for the next changes to come into effect
  • Information about IRD’s new website upgrade
    Please take time to have a read through as this is important information.

National Volunteer Week 2019
National Volunteers Week takes place from 16-22 June 2019. This year’s theme is:
Whiria te tangata – weaving the people together.
For now, why not put the date in your calendars and start thinking about how you might celebrate and recognise your volunteers. Resources relating to National Volunteers Week will be available in April and will be shared with you as soon as possible.