faqs

What is Employment Relations?

An Employment Relations (ER; sometimes called industrial relations) team manages the relationship between management and workers, particularly groups of workers represented by a union.

 

It negotiates employment agreements, works with the relevant parties on partnership initiatives and translates Employment Law legislation into practice in working life.

 

What is the role of the ER team at DHBNZ?

The DHBNZ team is responsible for those aspects of ER where DHBs have agreed to collaborate including:

• Providing advocacy in national and regional MECA negotiations
• Supporting advocates in local collective agreement negotiations
• Providing expert advice and assistance to DHBs and act as point of contact on ER activity
• Providing the link between DHBs and the Ministry of Health, Government officials and Union representatives
• Assist or lead steering committees and national projects (such as Advisory Groups, Job Evaluation Review Committee and Joint Action Committee)
• Contributing to DHBs’ ER planning, ER risk management and to build and develop ER capability within the sector

How does the ER team structure work at DHBNZ?

• Manager, ER
• Coordinates the team and overlooks the strategy for ER-related matters
• National ER Specialists
• Lead/assist employment agreement negotiations, provide advice without being assigned to a particular region
• Regional ER Specialists
• Lead/assist employment agreement negotiations, provide advice for their region
• General Counsel
• Provides legal advice on ER matters, to the team and to the wider DHB community

Where does the DHBNZ ER team fit into the New Zealand health sector?

The DHBNZ ER team works with the DHBs, specifically the HR teams, to negotiate and implement employment agreements. It also works on national projects designed to build bipartite and tripartite partnerships between the DHBs, the Government and the health Unions.