What's new: Latest EEO news and information

Pay Equity in jeopardy
The pay difference between what men and women earn for similar work continues to be a major issue for equality and fairness at work. Check out our new DVD story on pay equity.
How would you feel if you were earning a lot less than someone doing much the same job, just because of your gender? That’s the situation Caitlin Lewis was in at Talley’s fish plant in Motueka – so she complained to the Human Rights Commission. Meanwhile Brett Edwards, who had been paid more than Caitlin, was not re-employed in seasonal work because of Caitlin’s complaint – so he complained too. Their fascinating case led to a landmark court decision about sex discrimination.
Roundtable to progress pay and employment equity

A roundtable to progress pay and employment equity in New Zealand will be held on August 19, 2009, by the Human Rights Commission.Read more
National Conversation about Work - Regional Reports

Read the findings from the first three National Conversations in the Wellington, West Coast and Taranaki regions.    Read more
Here's our Job Save Programme designed to keep New Zealanders in work...
1.  Make youth skills, training and employment pathways a priority

Young people’s futures must not be jeopardised by the economic downturn. Careful government stimulus is needed to to build young people’s skills and training, so that they are job-ready.

The Rationale:

The unemployment rate for those aged 15-24 years was 11.1% for the year to December 2008, up from 9.7% in the previous year. Ministry of Social Development data show unemployment beneficiary numbers rising 34% over the last year with growth weighted toward those aged less than 25 years. Youth unemployment is expected to rise further over the next year.
Young people are particularly vulnerable because they have less work experience, but also because those aged 15-24 years old are two to three times more likely to be unemployed in general. This was clear in previous recessions, says the Department of Labour.

Young Maori and Pacific workers are most at risk. Not only do these groups have a greater proportion of youth relative to Europeans, but they also have more people employed in low-skilled and semi-skilled occupations, which are often more affected in a recession.


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National Conversation about Work

 

People all over New Zealand will have the chance to have their say about fairness at work through the Human Rights Commission’s National Conversation about Work, which has just hit the road with a new website. Click on the "Have Your Say about Work" logo on the left.

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Photo of Trish Taiaora on packing factory line with other female factory workers Photo of Andrew sitting in wheelchair, using a special keyboard. Photo of Rohan Jaduram, outside in Auckland CBD