HR & Employment Essentials

Business Canterbury unveils this 1-day workshop to cover essential HR tools for local businesses. Includes recruitment, onboarding, retention, and employee development, addressing critical challenges in today's labour market.

Description

In today’s tight labour market, managing staff effectively is more challenging than ever, especially for small and medium-sized businesses.

Our HR / ER Essentials workshop covers all key HR and employment law issues with relevant case law examples of what to avoid, and actionable strategies to set you up to manage your team.

This one-day workshop is tailored for business owners, leaders, and HR professionals grappling with issues like how to manage your contractual obligations in recruitment and leave management, employee performance concerns, and restructuring best practice .
You'll gain practical insights and apply them to real-world scenarios in a hands-on, interactive environment.

This Workshop / Course is registered with the Management Capability Development Fund. Find out more by visiting Regional Business Partner Network — business.govt.nz

Who can qualify for the subsidy

To access the subsidy for registered training, a business customer must meet the following criteria. They must:
  • have undergone a discovery session with a Regional Business Partner growth advisor
  • have fewer than 50 full-time equivalent employees
  • be registered for GST in New Zealand (this applies to one-to-one training only)
  • have a New Zealand Business Number (NZBN)
  • be operating in a commercial environment; and
  • be a privately owned business, or a Māori Trust or incorporation under Te Ture Whenua Māori Act 1993 or similar organisation managing Māori assets under multiple ownership.

Content

  • Employment Fundamentals: Learn about contractual obligations, leave entitlements, and compliance requirements to reduce legal risks for your business.

  • Documentation Essentials: Discover the critical employment documents and templates that protect your business and keep you compliant with current laws.

  • Disciplinary Processes & Performance Management: Get hands-on guidance for handling everyday performance issues and formal disciplinary procedures.

  • Restructuring Processes: Master the necessary steps and legal considerations for organisational changes, complete with practical examples and documentation needs.

  • Real case law examples showing where things went wrong and how you can avoid these mistakes.

Takeaways

  • Practical HR / employment law knowledge you can apply to everyday workplace situations

  • Ready-to-use templates for essential employment documentation

  • Greater confidence when managing disciplinary processes to prevent personal grievances

  • Clear guidance on legally-sound restructuring processes

  • Insights from actual case law highlighting common mistakes and prevention strategies

  • A practical action plan to implement compliant HR practices in your organisation

This workshop tackles the most common HR questions and challenges businesses face, with special attention to the practical details that present the highest risks for employers.

Who Should Attend

This workshop is perfect for business owners, managers, and HR professionals who want to improve their organisation’s staff management capabilities, ensuring they stay competitive in Canterbury’s evolving business landscape.

Speakers

Michael is an HR and Employment Relations Advisor with Business Canterbury.

Michael brings over 40 years of experience across all stages of the employee lifecycle. He has a passion for helping Canterbury businesses navigate recruitment, employee relations, and performance management, with a special focus on fostering and developing talent in today’s challenging environment.

What Learners Have Said

"The course was well run/organised. Communication prior to the event was great - explaining the parking situation etc. Having morning tea and lunch provided was also great. The content itself was very relatable and I took away new knowledge that I can implement into my role. I walked away with new tools, and things to ponder which I am keen to relay to our management team here. Overall really happy I attended this course, thank you." April 2025

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