Times they are changing… again!
31 October 2025
We’re pleased to share some exciting changes within the HealthyPractice team!
After a brief time leading the team, Peter Lycett has stepped into a new opportunity as Business Development Manager at MAS. In this role, Peter will be exploring new areas for growth opportunities including group life and insurance schemes. If you think your practice might be interested, then feel free to email him!
We’re equally thrilled to introduce our new manager, Hayden Saunders. Hayden joined MAS in September 2022 and has been a key part of our internal People and Culture team, serving as Head of HR Business Partnering. He brings a deep well of expertise in HR and employment relations, nd is based at our corporate head office in Wellington alongside the rest of the team. Hayden is eager to dive into the diverse range of queries we receive and support the HealthyPractice community.
With Fiona’s departure to enjoy her retirement, we are now looking to complete our team once again. We’re currently on the lookout for a Human Resources Coordinator to join us. We are after someone who is able to relate to our subscribers and the industry challenges they face, so if this sounds like a role that sparks your interest, send us through an expression of interest to business@mas.co.nz and we can provide some more info.
Closedown Periods – Christmas and New Year
As we approach the Christmas and New Year holiday period, we are receiving enquiries regarding practice closures between the statutory public holidays.
Some businesses observe an annual closedown during this time. If your practice customarily closes each year, this is considered an annual closedown under the Holidays Act. Employment agreements should include a clause outlining your obligations, including:
- The required notice period for closedown
- How annual leave entitlements are applied
- What happens if an employee has insufficient or no annual leave available
You can find detailed guidance on this topic here: Close down periods.
If your practice does not typically close during this period but you are considering doing so this year, you must consult with your staff. If agreement cannot be reached, you may direct employees to take entitled annual leave with at least 14 days’ notice. However, if employees do not have sufficient leave, you may be required to pay them for the days the practice is closed.
Annual Holidays
With summer approaching, many staff will be planning their annual leave. For managers, this can be a balancing act between accommodating leave requests and maintaining adequate staffing levels to ensure service delivery.
Annual holidays should generally be taken by mutual agreement. During peak periods such as Christmas and Easter, it’s important to have a fair and transparent process for managing leave requests. We recommend implementing a leave policy and a formal application process. Sample templates are available here: Annual holidays – Annual holidays.
Calculating holiday pay for permanent employees can be complex. The correct rate is the greater of:
- The employee’s ordinary weekly pay, or
- Their average weekly earnings over the past 12 months
Please note that different rules apply for employees returning from parental leave. More information is available here: Annual holidays.
Other recent articles
16 April 2026
Easing fuel and living-cost pressures, in practice
While we cannot control the wider economic environment, making clear, practical decisions in response to the current economic pressures can ease the load on our practice and our staff. Rising fuel prices and the broader cost-of-living pressure are not only having financial implications, they are also impacting how we feel about normal day-to-day ‘necessities’, which may be affecting stress levels and causing rising anxiety for some. It is important to focus on what we can change – how we can make small adjustments to support staff, reduce avoidable stress and keep the practice functioning well. own.
24 March 2026
Major Changes to NZ Employment Law: What Employers Need to Know in 2026
Something we have been hearing lots from our members is how do we stay on top of these changes that seem to be popping up in the news? Are there things we need to do right now? What are the actual impacts in terms we understand? Significant reforms to New Zealand’s employment landscape have now taken effect, with more changes on the horizon. From high‑income dismissal rules to a full rewrite of the Holidays Act, these updates reshape the rights, responsibilities, and relationships between employers and workers.
5 February 2026
2026 Off to a Flying Start
As we lament the end of the holidays and ask ourselves where has summer gone?!, we’re also looking ahead to another busy year — particularly given the volume of legislative change expected in 2026 (more on this below). We’re pleased to welcome Emma Wasson to the Healthy Practice team, who joined us in January in the newly created role of HR Coordinator-Healthy Practice. Emma will be focused on supporting our HealthyPractice Advisers and strengthening the resources available to you. She’ll also be involved in developing our annual reports, including the staff-ratio and GP remuneration reports, due out early this year.
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