Monday, 12 July 2021

Members of the Franchise Association of New Zealand (FANZ) will have access to a complimentary workplace advice line from late July for a limited time, as part of a collaboration between FANZ and outsourced HR service, HR Assured.

The FANZ Workplace Advice Line will give FANZ members a simple way to access timely support on workplace matters without long wait times or expensive legal fees.

National Workplace Relations Manager at HR Assured New Zealand, Vaughan Granier, said: “In today’s reality, where employment breaches frequently make the headlines, we’re committed to working closely with FANZ to ensure members have access to guidance they can use to protect their franchise from non-compliance.

“There are some incredibly complex changes coming to our employment law framework, in terms of the Holidays Act and around protecting vulnerable workers, that are bound to raise questions around workplace compliance in the franchise sector.

“Workplace compliance plays a critical role in protecting the franchise brand, but franchisors face notable hurdles around assuring best-practice workplace management across multiple franchise locations. Providing an advice platform can be invaluable for promoting good employment practices across a franchise brand.”

This milestone offering marks the continuing long-term partnership between HR Assured and FANZ.

Chief Executive Officer at Franchise Association New Zealand Robyn Pickerill says, “FANZ’s continuing partnership with HR Assured is warmly welcomed. In today’s environment, it is critical for employers to have effective HR processes in place and for members to have access to good advice.

“We thank HR Assured for striving to support our members and developing a service that will enable our members to solve HR-related queries with ease.”

Last year, a survey of FANZ members led by HR Assured revealed that over 60 per cent of respondents saw the consistency of HR compliance across their franchise as a critical area for improvement. One-third of members surveyed said they found it tough to find HR or health and safety support for their franchise.

On reflection of these challenges, Granier says: “A lot of franchisees are small business owners who have plenty of business skill, but not necessarily the right skills to address HR matters competently. Especially when there are other strategic and operational challenges keeping them busy. Here, on-call workplace advice can be a valuable part of a franchise HR system to help prevent non-compliance.

“No matter how complicated an issue is, if you get help early enough, you can get it right the first time. If a FANZ member needs help with an HR matter, the HR Assured team is just a phone call away”.

About HR Assured:

HR Assured is an outsourced HR service on a mission to help you build a smarter business. We work with businesses of all kinds, helping to reduce the time you spend on HR admin by up to 70 per cent, so you can focus on more meaningful HR initiatives.

Founded in 2015, HR Assured provides innovative workplace solutions to businesses across Australia and New Zealand including award-winning HR software, telephone advice, HR audit, insurance & representation, health & safety, and a library of legal resources. Complete, compliant, and cost-effective, working with HR Assured is like having your own legal counsel and HR manager on-call, 24/7, backed by technology, expertise, and legal protection you need for total peace of mind.

To learn more about HR Assured visit www.hrassured.co.nz .

About the Franchise Association of New Zealand

Founded in 1996, FANZ was established to bring members of the franchise community together to set standards, provide a signal of confidence to potential and existing franchisees, share information and experiences, and promote good practice in franchising.

FANZ has over 140 franchisor members, covering a substantial percentage of active franchise systems in New Zealand. FANZ’s membership also includes approximately 50 affiliate members such as trading banks, legal and financial professionals and specialist business and franchising consultants. Members of FANZ are committed to observe the best practice in franchising through adherence to a Code of Practice, Code of Ethics and the Rules of the Association

For more information contact:

Amanda Hale

HR Assured New Zealand

0275353220

afh@hrassured.co.nz