Employment relations is part of our daily life and is often featured in political debates and media reports. It is not surprising therefore that many employers, unions, academics and ordinary people take a personal interest in employment relations and how their employment relationships develop over time.

The book is concise and concentrates on key areas, trends and themes. It is intended to be a practical introduction and guide to employment relations issues as well as an introduction to the principal legislative changes. It also provides the reader with recent sources of information for future reference.

In recent years, New Zealanders have witnessed major reforms that in turn have resulted in significant changes in employment relations. While the fundamental relationships between the government, employers and employees still remain, there have been changes in how these parties interact as well as changes in the associated employment outcomes. These changes will also affect how we work and will be working in the future. Technological innovations, globalisation and a different workforce composition have facilitated innovations in work practices and in employment patterns and this book tries to bring these influences to the fore of our discussion of employment relations.

Erling Rasmussen, Felicity Lamm and Julienne Molineaux

March 2022