Matthew Piper worked at Simpson Grierson, while Rachel Larmer was at Kiely, Thompson, Caisley
Recently announced appointments or reappointments within the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) included Matthew Piper and Rachel Larmer, who have both gained prior experience as employment lawyers.
Brooke van Velden, New Zealand’s workplace relations and safety minister, announced in a news release the reappointment of Larmer to the ERA, as well as the appointment of Piper as one of two new members.
Larmer’s next four-year term will commence on 4 February 2025 and end on 3 February 2029. Since joining the ERA as a member in 2010, she has issued numerous determinations, van Velden said in the news release of the New Zealand government.
Before becoming a part of the ERA, Larmer worked as an employment lawyer for Kiely, Thompson, Caisley, which is a law firm based in Auckland, van Velden shared in the news release.
On the other hand, Piper has been newly appointed for a four-year term beginning on 7 April 2025 and ending on 6 April 2029, the government’s news release said. He most recently served as the Warehouse Group’s general manager for employment relations.
Before that, Piper worked for commercial law firms including Simpson Grierson and Buddle Findlay, the news release said. He also garnered private sector experience upon being seconded into large companies in New Zealand.
“Currently, 76 percent of ERA members have significant experience in the public sector, but only 48 percent in private business,” van Velden said in the news release. “I would like to see a greater balance in the backgrounds of ERA members to bring new ideas, skills and experience – and to better reflect the proportions of public sector and private sector employment in New Zealand.”
van Velden expressed hopes that the two new appointments would assist the ERA in better understanding the private sector, specifically “the practicalities of employment law practice by employers in large and small businesses.”
van Velden added that the new appointees both had skill and experience in the processes relating to investigations, hearings, the courts, and the ERA.
“I am keen to see them bring fresh ideas and approaches to ERA so that we see fast, fair and flexible resolution of disputes between employers and employees,” van Velden said in the news release. “This will reduce the burden on the Court system and the associated delays and costs experienced by all parties in trying to resolve employment problems.”
Helen van Druten is the second new appointee to the ERA, according to the news release. Hailing from Restaurant Brands NZ, van Druten will serve a four-year term starting on 3 February 2025 and ending on 2 February 2029.