Employment advice: agreements
Everyone must have some kind of written employment agreement before starting a new job. We’re always told we should seek employment advice before signing an agreement, but how many of us do? The truth of the matter is that every person should seek professional advice about an employment agreement before they sign.
Seeking employment advice will protect you from making a legal commitment to an agreement you wouldn’t otherwise sign.
What is an employment agreement?
There are two types of employment agreement: an individual agreement and a collective agreement.
Individual agreements are negotiated between you and your employer, with the terms set out in writing and agreed to before you begin work.
Collective agreements are usually negotiated by a union. To work under a collective agreement, you have to be a member of that union.
How we help
As well as providing you with employment advice, we’ll help you to negotiate the terms if there is some part of the agreement you don’t like. We’ll also identify any unlawful terms and ensure you’re entitled to your rights. We can also help you to secure the job at the best possible terms available.
Before you sign any agreement, we urge you to contact us immediately for employment advice.
If you want more information about employment agreements, you can read more about it at Employment New Zealand.
Additional information about the help you can access is available here.