What is adverse, coercive or misleading conduct?

We are developing guidance for people who might be treated badly because of the steps they have taken to maintain health and safety in their workplace. We are asking for feedback on the draft guidance we have developed. Consultation closes at 5 pm on 16 September

Overview

A person or a business cannot discriminate or take other negative steps against you because of your involvement in work health and safety. No one is allowed to pressure or mislead people around their roles, powers or entitlements under the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA).

To use the legal language, HSWA forbids adverse, coercive or misleading conduct for a prohibited health and safety reason. It does this to support you taking reasonable steps to protect your own health and safety and that of other workers.

This protection applies to every worker, and is especially important for elected health and safety representatives (HSRs).

Quick guide - What is adverse, coercive or misleading conduct? [PDF: 274kB, 14 pages]

Consultation details

The consultation will run from 2 to 16 September 2024.

You can submit your feedback using our pdf form or our online form.

Submission form: Adverse coercive or misleading conduct [PDF: 271kB, 6 pages]

If you use this pdf feedback form, submit it by emailing a copy to consultations@maritimenz.govt.nz.

Submit online

If you use this online feedback form, you will automatically receive an email with a copy of your submission when you submit.