Bill seeks to ensure pay secrecy clauses will not be enforced
A bill seeking to protect employees who discuss or disclose their remuneration has passed second reading.
The Employment Relations (Employee Remuneration Disclosure) Amendment Bill, introduced by Labour MP Camilla Belich, passed its second reading on Wednesday night after receiving support from National MPs.
"Pleased to see this Bill pass its second reading last night," Belich said on Facebook.
"The work of workers achieving fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory pay is the work of a lifetime and this Bill is a small step towards that."
The bill seeks to ensure that pay secrecy clauses in workplaces are not enforceable, prohibiting employers from taking adverse action against staff who discuss pay.
Among these adverse actions are dismissing an employee, retiring the employee, making them resign, or refusing to offer the employee the same terms of employment, conditions of work, opportunities for training, promotion, or transfer, according to the bill.
The bill is now before the Committee of the whole House, which will consider it in detail, question the MP in charge, and may make changes to it.
If passed, New Zealand will join the list of countries pushing for greater pay transparency in workplaces, such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and some US states.
