Employment Law: Significant Changes from 21 February 2026

Employment Law Has Changed: What It Means for Your Practice New Zealand’s employment landscape is still adjusting to one of its most significant overhauls in decades, following recent changes to the Employment Relations Act. For those who own or work within dental practices, understanding how these reforms affect your rights and obligations is more important than ever. Whether you are an employee, operate a single-chair clinic, or manage a large group practice, the new rules will influence how you engage contractors, manage performance and dismissals, and structure arrangements.

Learning outcomes

In this one-hour session, Murray Grant and Ramses Hunt from Wotton Kearney’s national employment team will break down what these changes mean in practice. They will cover: • the new “gateway test” for contractors, and what practices must demonstrate to reduce the risk of challenge; • reduced remedies for blameworthy employees, and why clearly defining serious misconduct is now critical; • the new income threshold for unjustified dismissal, and the risks associated with relying on it; and • the removal of the 30-day rule, and what this means when onboarding new staff.

Speakers