Bill for new rest and meal break legislation introduced

A Bill granting greater flexibility to existing meal and rest breaks legislation was introduced to Parliament yesterday on behalf of Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson.

The Employment Relations (Rest Breaks and Meal Breaks) Amendment Bill amends the Employment Relations Act 2000, giving employers and employees the opportunity to develop rest and meal break policies best suited to individual requirements.

The Bill is partly in response to difficulties faced in providing breaks in sole-charge air traffic control towers at five regional airports.  The Bill is available from http://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2009/0091/latest/viewpdf.aspx. 

According to the explanation in the Bill:

“It is proposed to relax the rest breaks and meal breaks provisions of

the principal Act to—

• require employers to either provide meal breaks and paid rest

breaks or compensatory measures:

• encourage employers and employees to agree in good faith on

rest break and meal break arrangements:

• ease requirements in order to increase flexibility in what is

considered to constitute a break.

This will improve the workability of rest breaks and meal breaks provisions

and improve consistency with the overall intent of the principal Act.”