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Upcoming Seminars
- Procedural Fairness and the Disciplinary Process Dunedin, Invercargill, Cromwell
- Cultural Awareness in Foreign Markets Dunedin, Invercargill
Latest News
- Unemployment jump puts pressure on RBNZ August 2010
- Union leader’s comments over the top August 2010
- Eating at work linked to sickies July 2010
- Employment law changes will help the recovery July 2010
Mood of the Boardroom: Business backs ACC reform
2 July 2010
The Government’s plans to end ACC's workplace monopoly - expected to be announced this month - have received the ringing endorsement of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). Three out of four respondents to the New Zealand Herald's Mood of the Boardroom survey, in association with BusinessNZ, favour ACC's work account being reopened to competition. The move, with the backing of a Government-appointed working party led by former Labour cabinet minister David Caygill, would restore competition to workplace accident insurance that existed briefly in 1999 before being abolished by the incoming Labour Government. BusinessNZ chief executive Phil O'Reilly said business had been calling for competition in workplace accident insurance for many years. "One of the reasons is that businesses have become stronger at health and safety but their ACC levies haven't changed. As more businesses become familiar with health and safety and accident reduction, they seek a reward for their efforts." The previous Government had treated ACC as "welfare in drag" rather than an insurance scheme following insurance principles. Business Roundtable executive director Roger Kerr welcomed business support for workplace accident insurance competition but called for competition across the board.