Month: March 2026

We all want results right now.

This means we need our team to meet sales and production targets, deliver quality products and services, and improve efficiency. And we want them to do this without us having to micro-manage everything they do.

Alongside the drive for results, a commitment to accountability from all in your team is essential. You need them to step up and take responsibility for getting things done.

“Accountability is the glue that ties commitment to the result.”

Bob Proctor

But this is often easier said than done. How often do you hear “I sent an email and no one replied” or “I didn’t have the right equipment”?

What you really want to hear is “I chased it down until I got an answer” or “I took the initiative to sort out our gear so we could get started straight away.”

If you need to shift your team’s thinking into pro-activity, improve accountability and get results, then take some time to consider these three questions.

1. Does your team know what you mean by accountability?

It is easy to say to your team “You need to be more accountable”, but what does that actually mean to them? Does it mean always reaching targets? Does it mean doing more work or longer hours? Accountability can mean different things to different people, so be clear about what it means to you as their leader.

Accountability is taking responsibility for doing what you need to do —
owning your actions, your work, and the outcomes you deliver AND being answerable for resulting consequences.

Team members who are good at holding themselves accountable don’t always get things right, but they own their actions and results and keep working at the job until they succeed.

Communicating to your team exactly what you want will help them deliver.

2. Does everyone know what they are accountable for?

Do your team clearly know that they are accountable for a specific task or outcome? Is there confusion about who owns which bits of a project? This is particularly true when you are delegating something. Do they truly understand that they have accountability for getting something done, not just flicking off an email and passing it on to someone else.

Being clear, being concise and defining exactly what outcome you are looking for will make this crystal clear for everyone involved.

3. Do they all know what to do to show accountability?

Accountability and achieving results are two different things. However, success usually comes when team members are good at owning accountability. When they are good at this, they find solutions when things go wrong and they stop blaming others. They consider what their contribution to a problem is, they change and learn from mistakes. They then go again until they achieve the outcome they are looking for.

Having your team clearly understanding what accountability is and what is required from them will quantum leap the likelihood that they will succeed.

“A culture of accountability makes a good organisation great and a great organisation unstoppable.”

Henry Evans

Positive People have developed a unique, engaging and interactive ACCOUNTABILITY WORKSHOP, which improves accountability in the workplace.

If your team could benefit from this essential skill set enhancement, contact us now on

0800 00 00 49 or info@positivepeople.co.nz. 

Remote and hybrid working is now a normal part of many workplaces, but supporting employees who work from home is about more than flexibility.  Even though the work is being done at home, employers still have clear responsibilities particularly when it comes to health and safety.

Health and Safety Doesn’t Stop at the Front Door

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, employers must, so far as reasonably practicable, ensure the health and safety of employees, including those working from home. Employees also have responsibilities; they must take reasonable care of their own health and safety and follow their employer’s health and safety policies and instructions.

Employers should take reasonable steps to identify and manage risks such as poor workstation setup, fatigue, or unsafe work practices. This works best when expectations are clearly communicated and employees feel comfortable raising concerns.

Why a Work from Home Policy Is Essential

If employees are working remotely, a work from home policy is strongly recommended. A good policy helps set clear expectations and manage responsibilities around:

• Performance and availability
• Health and safety
• Privacy and confidentiality
• IT security and data protection

It also helps ensure flexible working arrangements align with employment agreements and supports a consistent, legally compliant workplace.

Staying Connected Matters

Employees who regularly work from home may experience social isolation. Employers can help by supporting regular connection through office days, team meetings, or scheduled phone and video catch‑ups. Staying connected supports wellbeing, engagement, and performance.

5 Simple Ways Employers Can Support Remote Workers

• Check in regularly about workload and wellbeing
• Support regular connections with the team
• Provide guidance on safe work practices eg: workstation setups
• Set clear boundaries around hours and availability
• Review arrangements periodically to ensure they remain effective

Remote work works best when everyone is clear, connected, and supported. Clear policies, regular communication, and shared health and safety responsibilities help create positive outcomes for both employees and employers.

The Employment Relations Amendment Act 2025 came into effect on 21 February 2026, introducing significant changes to contractor definitions, personal grievances, high income dismissal thresholds and collective agreement provisions.

Below is a practical summary of the key updates and what they mean for employers:

New “Gateway Test” for Contractors

Previously, contractor status depended on the “real nature of the relationship,” meaning the Employment Relations Authority could find someone was an employee despite being labelled a contractor.

Now, a worker will be treated as a contractor (and excluded from employee rights) if all of the following are met:

• A written agreement states they are an independent contractor
• They are free to work for others (except while performing agreed work)
• They can subcontract (with limits) or are not required to work set days/times or minimum hours
• They cannot be terminated for declining additional work
• They had a reasonable opportunity to seek independent advice

If any requirement is missing, the traditional “real nature of the relationship” test applies.

The change applies immediately (except for existing cases before the Authority). For employers it provides greater certainty, but only where contractor agreements are properly structured.

High-Income Employees ($200,000+)

Employees earning $200,000 or more (total remuneration) can no longer bring unjustified dismissal personal grievances. Employers are also not required to follow certain good faith processes (such as redundancy consultation) when dismissing them.

• Employees (new or existing) can contract out of this change.
• Existing affected employees have 12 months to renegotiate terms if they don’t want this law change to affect them in the future
• After 12 months, the law applies automatically.

This gives employers increased flexibility when managing senior employment relationships.

Reduced Remedies for Employee Conduct

Previously, where an employee contributed to the circumstances giving rise to a personal grievance, remedies could be reduced but not completely removed.

Under the new law, if an employee’s conduct amounts to serious misconduct and contributed to the situation, no remedies will be awarded at all. Even where the conduct falls short of serious misconduct, reinstatement or compensation may be unavailable, and any remedies can be reduced by up to 100%.

Importantly, the Act does not define “serious misconduct,” so we will no doubt see its scope develop through case law.

These changes considerably strengthen an employer’s position where employee behaviour has played a significant role in the outcome.

Removal of the 30-Day Rule – Union Environments

The requirement that new non-union employees must be employed on terms consistent with a collective agreement for their first 30 days has been removed.

You can now negotiate individual employment terms from day one. This restores flexibility in how new hires in unionised environments are engaged.

Expanded Trial Period Protections

Employees dismissed under a valid trial period cannot bring a personal grievance for either unjustified dismissal or now unjustified disadvantage relating to that dismissal.

This increases certainty where trial periods are properly drafted and implemented.

Clarified Justification Test

A dismissal will not automatically be unjustified due to minor procedural errors if the employer otherwise acted fairly and reasonably.

The Authority or Court may also consider whether the employee obstructed the process.

This reduces the risk of claims based purely on technical procedural flaws where the overall process was fair and reasonable.

Changes to Union Information Requirements

Employers are no longer required to provide union information or share new employee details.

This reduces compliance obligations and allows greater flexibility in negotiating individual agreements, with employees now responsible for proactively seeking union information.

These changes are already in effect, making it timely for employers to review their agreements, policies, and processes to ensure they align with the new legal framework.

Please feel free to get in touch on 0800 00 00 49 or info@positivepeople.co.nz to discuss how these changes apply to your organisation.