7 June 2000 Repeal of Employment Contracts legislation – Lincoln course will help small business employers cope

Concern about the Coalition Government's Employment Relations Bill has been expressed by many small business employers and independent contractors.

Will they be bothered by unions, and will they lose their self-employed status as independent contractors, are common questions, says Lincoln University's Senior Lecturer in Employment Relations, Dr Rupert Tipples.

"The Select Committee considering the Bill has extended its hearings because of employers' concerns, but while some changes will undoubtedly follow, the main thrust of the Bill, which repeals National's Employment Contracts Act 1991, is unlikely to change," says Dr Tipples.

Are you worried about how the new legislation will impact on you and your business? Does your profession or occupation require staff development in the employment relations and personnel management? Would you like to upgrade your qualifications through university study?

This year, for the first time, Lincoln University is offering a paper in employment relations and personnel management at two off-campus locations, Ashburton and Christchurch. It is offered through the University's Regional Education Programme and it is designed for small businesses and their employment concerns.

The paper is called Employment Relations and Personnel Management, MGMT 255.

This paper has been available for some years at Lincoln to internal on campus (sic), but now it is being offered off-campus too.

The examiner, Dr Rupert Tipples, is a specialist in employment relations and labour management issues for agriculture, horticulture and the leisure industries. Typically these are industries made up of small family businesses without specialist personnel or human relations staff.

"If you are a small business operator or manager who would benefit from sharing employment problems with others similarly concerned and looking at the issues in new ways, then you will find the paper useful both theoretically and practically," says Dr Tipples.

"Whether you are a traditional Mid-Canterbury employer, or from the rapidly expanding dairy farming sector, or from the leisure and hospitality industries, the Lincoln University paper offers much of relevance in the present and emerging industrial environment."

The Learning Coordinator for the subject in Ashburton will be Jennifer Margaret and sessions for the 12-week semester will be held in Ashburton starting the week of 3 July from 6.00-9.00pm. The Christchurch sessions will be held on Tuesday evenings starting the same week and also run from 6.00-9.00pm.

For further details, telephone 0800-10-70-10 and ask for a Regional Education 2000 Course Information booklet which outlines this subject in detail.

Contact people are – Dr Rupert Tipples, Applied Management and Computing Division, P O Box 84, Lincoln University. Tel. 03-3253859 (W) or 03-3295634 (H).

Dr Lynette Hardie-Wills, Project Manager, Regional Education Programme, Professional Studies School, Lincoln University. Tel. 03-3253639.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand