Heat pumps to save commercial business
With fossil gas supplies in terminal decline and electricity demand rising, the country faces increasing energy costs, business closures and job losses. Continue →
Author Rachel Loo
Ducan Cotterill looks into the proposed new income threshold for unjustified dismissal claims and what this will mean in practice. There are also reports on the proposed reinstatement of pay deductions for partial strike action and the call for submissions on the full suite of employment law changes under consideration.
This research report provides guidance to road agencies on potential approaches for implementing Automatic Crash Notification (ACN) systems, such as eCall, in Australia and New Zealand. Several decisions will influence the scale and effectiveness of ACN deployment, with each pathway differing in government involvement, costs, and impacts on ACN uptake. The report outlines factors affecting large-scale deployment, including the roles of key stakeholders, technological considerations, and implementation pathways
New Focus on Psychosocial Risk: Moving from Awareness to Action in NZ Workplaces. As awareness of psychosocial risks is growing, businesses are asking: what can we do now? A new approach centres on turning current guidance into real-world action through better risk assessment, leadership engagement, and meaningful controls that go beyond surface-level fixes.
Good practice guide for asbestos surveys
The latest good practice guide for conducting an asbestos survey was published by WorkSafe in a 100 page plus manual of step-by-step guidance. Continue →
When first invented, the popular soda 7Up had a secret “mood-enhancing” ingredient — lithium. Though this was swiftly banned by the FDA, the metal has regained prominence as a drug for bipolar disorder. A new study reported in Science Adviser suggests yet another use for lithium as a treatment for Alzheimers.
Large language models (LLM) usage is increasing across all domains and as AI technology has advanced and authors who use it have become more proficient at covering their tracks, spotting its handiwork also has become harder. One study from 2023 found, for example, that researchers who read medical journal abstracts generated by ChatGPT failed to identify one-third of them as written by machine.
More than 18 million workdays were lost to injury last year in New Zealand. The longer someone is off work, the harder it is for them to return. After just 70 days, the likelihood of returning drops to 35 percent. ACC has linked up with CHASNZ and is seeking organisations to participate in a six-month Recovery at Work trial to test a new approach to rehabilitation. Register for the webinar on Wednesday 20 August.
Join enhanced recovery trial
More than 18 million workdays were lost to injury last year in New Zealand. Continue →
New Zealand’s civil construction sector is stressed with just 16 percent of businesses expecting a positive business outlook, according to The 2025 Construction Industry Survey. The annual report is developed by Teletrac Navman and Civil Contractors New Zealand to provide an in-depth look on the current state of New Zealand’s civil construction sector.
The smart talk on the cocktail circuit is all about US$6.7 trillion of worldwide investment McKinsey analysis indicates data centres will need by 2030 to keep pace with the demand for compute power — around 70 percent of which will come from AI workloads. What is a Data Centre and what does it do. McKinsey equips you with the knowledge to carry off your contribution to the conversation with aplomb.
Is there anyone out there who does not feel at least a little dread reading a question like this: In a triangle △ABC, AB = 86, and AC = 97. A circle centred at point A with radius AB intersects side BC at points B and X. Moreover, BX and CX have integer lengths. What is the length of BC? Interesting fact: Cats sleep for most of their lives.
Outfox AI with a cat
Is there anyone out there who does not feel at least a little dread reading a question like this: In a triangle △ABC, AB = 86, and AC = 97. Continue →
Tomatoes and potatoes don’t only sound similar and taste good together. They’re the closest of relatives, even though one has edible fruit and the other tubers. Turns out they’ve got an even stronger connection than scientists thought, says Science reporter Erik StokstadTomatoes and potatoes don’t only sound similar and taste good together. They’re the closest of relatives, even though one has edible fruit and the other tubers. Turns out they’ve got an even stronger connection than scientists thought, says Science reporter Erik Stokstad
Where there is a will, there are always the willing
WorkSafe NZ continues to be the target of widespread dissatisfaction by frustrated business operators struggling with complex and confusing compliance obligations. Continue →
Economic and political volatility has left managers of infrastructure projects with little room for error. McKinsey says that out of a database of 16,000 global projects, only 8.5 percent met their cost and schedule targets, and 0.5 percent achieved all promised benefits. For executives overseeing such significant investments, these statistics highlight the critical need for robust project management and risk mitigation strategies
Substance use among workers is holding steady, but their drug selection continues to shift in a dangerous direction, according to the second quarter 2025 workplace report from The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA) New Zealand’s largest workplace drug testing provider.
Opioid misuse on the rise
Substance use among workers is holding steady, but their drug selection continues to shift in a dangerous direction, according to the second quarter 2025 workplace report from The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA) New Zealand’s largest workplace drug testing provider. Continue →
