Employer Bulletin | 20 July 2026

Here's what is leading the news for employers this week:

Amendments to the primary work health and safety law, the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, have now received Royal Assent.

The amendments aim to focus the health and safety system on critical risk so that businesses are clear about the most important things to focus on. It’s part of the government’s wider health and safety reforms.

From 1 April 2027, small businesses (those with fewer than 20 workers) will be required to manage critical risks and to prioritise critical risk when complying with other provisions of the Act and its regulations. Critical risks are those likely to cause the most serious harm. Larger businesses must manage all risks but prioritise those that are critical.

All businesses will need to identify critical risks based on what they should reasonably know about their work.

The changes also introduce a framework for industry, worker, and employer organisations to develop their own codes of practice (COP). Businesses that follow the approved COPs will be exempt from enforcement action.

Other key changes include providing clarity on notifiable injuries and illnesses, narrowing duties for landowners and officers, and altering the focus of WorkSafe and its regulators.

In today’s Bulletin:

• Employer’s restructure falls through on transparency of selection criteria

• Concerns with employee discounting invoices are justified

• Employer correct in relying on fixed term to end employment

• Authority steps in to push forward collective bargaining

• Authority awards hefty penalties

• Eight news updates of interest for employers including:

  • Changes to the health and safety law

  • NZ, India relationship elevated to Strategic Partnership

  • Capital market reforms to power economic growth

  • Latest figures continue year-on-year increase in jobseekers finding work

  • Net migration loss to Australia in 2025

  • Bay of Plenty projects backed by RIF investment

  • Guidance to increase supermarket competition and help lower prices

  • Improving how New Zealand plans for climate risks

• Five Bills open for submission

  
  

If you have any questions, about this case or other employment relation matters, call the Advice Line team on 0800 800 362.

Download the bulletin:

Employer Bulletin 20 July 2026.pdf

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