Annex Two: Changes to Processes and Practices Being Implemented to Address Issues Identified during the Review
1. DoL is developing a number of communication initiatives during 2007/2008, to better inform industry and employees about their health, safety and employment relations rights and obligations. These include initiatives to target common misunderstandings, and on-line tools to assist in areas such as worker holiday entitlement calculations and hazard identification. For example:
- Releasing an on-line tool that will assist the entitlement calculations associated with the Holidays Act 2003 by Easter 2007;
- Developing and disseminating information regarding the use of probationary periods under the Employment Relations Act 2000 by June 2007;
- Conducting tailored market research into business' understanding of health and safety and employment relations legislation to identify areas of misunderstanding and, by June 2007, develop a communication strategy to address areas of greatest difficulty;
- Developing an on-line Hazard Builder for SMEs, which also aligns with the ACC requirements for the new Workplace Safety Discount, by June 2007; and
- Developing guidance on how to manage the health and safety of contractors, in 2007/2008.
2. Businesses state that they have difficulties in understanding their ACC levy invoices and associated information. In-advance invoicing of ACC levies for business and timing inconsistency with other business payments, (such as GST and PAYE) can also impact on small business' cash flow and planning. ACC will ensure that new levy invoices will provide clearer information for businesses by June 2007. Payment options, including method and frequency, will be reviewed in 2007 taking into account the cash flow issues faced by businesses.
3. To address duplicative requirements on businesses to supply data, ACC and Inland Revenue have agreed to improve the coordination of data collection and to share information on businesses (with their permission), to reduce duplication between each department's requirements. ACC has also commenced discussions with the Companies Office and Statistics New Zealand with a view to sharing more data.
4. Concerns were raised by submitters from the non-casino gaming machine sector about the costs of complying with the Gambling Act 2003 and the Gambling Act's procedures for dealing with problem gamblers at gambling venues. While DIA has made strong efforts to ensure that the non-casino gaming machine sector understands its obligations in this area, the submissions to the Review disclosed a degree of misunderstanding and uncertainty (among publicans in particular) regarding what is expected of the sector in dealing with problem gamblers. DIA will shortly commence a targeted information and education campaign in response to this.
5. In terms of the costs of complying with the Gambling Act, a number of options were considered by Ministers during the 2001 Gaming Review. The costs of the preferred option were signalled throughout the policy development process and at the time the Act passed through Parliament. Thus addressing the cost issues would require fundamental changes to the Gambling Act and to the policy decisions Ministers made during the Gaming Review.
6. In terms of promoting the idea of the "one hand of government" and minimising the potential duplicative interacts of businesses with central and local governments, it has been suggested that central government agencies work with a local authority to trial some of the new ideas and approaches.
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