Return of the mandatory tea break

bring in, yes, mandatory 10-minute breaks.

We have what the Restaurant Association of New Zealand calls ‘‘more flexibility’’ at the moment regarding rest and meal breaks. But that is about to change.

Here’s your guide to what the new rules mean, and the current situation in New Zealand.

Cullen said the latter would be unlikely to apply to a McDonald’s worker here.

Unite Union national director Mike Treen said that, unlike in Australia, members working for McDonald’s in New Zealand get

15-minute rest breaks as per their contract.

Council of Trade Unions (CTU) president Richard Wagstaff said the previous National-led government’s law change that removed statutory rest and meal breaks was ‘‘exploitative and unfair in effect, diminishing fundamental employment rights’’.

He provided an example from

2015 when clothing retailer Cotton On tried to remove tea breaks off the back of the legislation change.

He said the proposition for the employer and employee to agree on the timing of breaks ‘‘failed to recognise the inherent inequality in the employment relationship’’. remainder would largely be able to ignore its complexities and would continue to take agreed meal and tea breaks.

‘‘Junior people will benefit from them. People in places like McDonald’s, process-driven workplaces where they are young people often, not senior workers with power and influence, will benefit from the more prescriptive rules,’’ he said.