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Ahead of the 2026 election, Labour and Opportunity were asked to state their positions on the recent Employment Relations Act changes, including contribution, remedies and employee access to justice.

A consolidated guide to the Employment Relations Amendment Act 2026: commencement dates, changes to personal-grievance remedies and contribution, and the transitional question of which law applies to a particular dispute.

Silvertime's store manager summoned Yucen Xi to an evening meeting without explaining its purpose, told her to resign or be fired, demanded her key and called security before any allegations had been fairly raised with her.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand summarily dismissed Russell Kinzett following an investigation into conduct that included breaches of FENZ policies. The ERA held the dismissal unjustified, and FENZ brought a de novo challenge in the Employment Court.

Retail employee KCY complained of bullying linked to her Russian ethnicity, was placed on paid leave without proper consultation and directed to transfer stores immediately. She was later summarily dismissed over expired promotional gifts and disclosure of a back-office code.

Tanker driver Sione Afimeimounga repeatedly raised workload, scheduling and health-and-safety concerns that NPD failed to resolve. After he resigned on extended notice, the employer suspended and summarily dismissed him over selected comments from a provocative text exchange with another driver.

Chef OAS told JIK Limited he needed time away from work after family violence affecting his children, including meetings with victim support and steps toward a protection order. The employer treated his messages as resignation or abandonment and omitted him from the next roster.

Duane April, a migrant worker, alleged Coatrite Fire underpaid his agreed hourly rate, made unlawful deductions, subjected him to racialised comments and later dismissed him after a defective disciplinary process. The decision maker did not attend the disciplinary meeting and important allegations were not fairly tested.