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Link Financial has partnered with AI technology company Afterburner to transform the workday for hundreds of advisers, loan writers and administrators in Link’s network. Afterburner automates administrative tasks including mortgage recommendations, analysing business financial statements, bank handover forms, compliance documentation and client interview notes, drafting mortgage applications and writing up expert-level communications to clients and banks. Tasks that previously could take up to a couple of hours can now be completed in seconds.
McKinsey takes a 16-country look at the productivity of micro, small and medium-size enterprises which account for more than half of global GDP, make up more than 90 percent of companies worldwide and provide 21 percent of total banking revenue pools. New Zealand was not one of the study countries but Australia was and offers valuable information for SME on both sides of the ditch.
The Drug Detection Agency has a stark warning for employers as the festive season approaches. It recommends educational activity before year-end social events, which often coincide with an unwarranted social tolerance for substance use. Its latest report details the most pressing issues for employers following an eight percent jump in cannabis detections nationwide and concern that opioid positivity rates “remain stubbornly high at 18.6 percent.”
Multitudes of studies conducted over decades have failed to find compelling evidence of a link. Still, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has publically softened its stance that vaccines do not cause autism over the objections of career staff and counter to years of scientific evidence, the latest proof according to the subscription based Atlantic magazine, that health secretary and longtime vaccine sceptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is remaking US Health and Human Services in his own image.
A real-time waste analytics platform is transforming workers from manual sorters into data-driven decision-makers, upskilling teams rather than downsizing them. “We wanted to make our data accessible and usable with as little training as possible. As an operator, you want to use tools that are tailored to your needs. That’s why we spent a lot of time developing intuitive dashboards that make data easy to understand and act on,” says Gaspard Duthilleul from Greyparrot
Build our readiness for emergencies, together. Recent floods and cyclones have underscored the critical need for emergency planning. This conference will bring together the emergency management and civil defence professional community with first responder agencies and other key stakeholders, providing an opportunity for the broad audience to hear the latest developments in emergency management and catastrophic event planning.
If your business owes more than $1000 in tax debt that is between six months and five years old, you might receive a call from IRD soon. They will encourage you to pay up or set up an instalment arrangement. If you owe $10,000 or more you will still have a chance to call on support from IRD but the options start to tighten up after that if you ignore warnings.
While it is hard to imagine that there is any business in New Zealand that does not need to be aware of its obligations for handling hazardous substances, not enough seem to realise that there are cost-effective compliance tools and services, including monthly alerts, available through membership of our national chemical industry association, Responsible Care NZ, part of a global voluntary chemical industry safety, health and environment protection initiative
Join a community of forward-thinking leaders in March and uncover next-generation strategies and insights to enhance the workplace safety and wellbeing landscape. This summit is not just about keeping up with the pace; it is about shaping your and everyone else’s future.
There’s no doubt the past decade has been one of the most extraordinary periods for New Zealand’s construction industry, says QV CostBuilder Quantity Surveyor Martin Bisset. While the last decade included dramatic spikes — particularly through 2021–2022 when global supply chains were disrupted and material costs soared — more recent years have brought greater stability.
Despite the growing adoption of solar power and other renewables, fossil fuels still rule our energy world. So, taking steps to make them cleaner is increasingly vital. The ability to convert coal and other carbon-containing compounds into liquid fuels requires a feedstock called syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2), which is highly polluting and created by cooking the feedstock under high temperatures and pressures.
The 100-year-old Master Electricians announced the winners of its Annual Apprentice challenge, following hard on the heels of resolution in the High Court of an issue which consolidated sub-contactors’ rights. And the Employers and Manufacturers Association awarded the Patrick Seaman Award for Excellence in Health and Safety to Briscoes H&S manager.
For decades, the construction industry in OECD countries has wrestled with rising demand and shrinking labour capacity. Productivity has stagnated, and the situation could soon worsen according to a McKinsey report. To alleviate the labour crunch, some businesses have already automated a few common activities, including bricklaying and concreting, using purpose-built robots. A logical next step might involve the use of general-purpose robots, which can perform diverse, unrelated tasks across multiple settings.
The GPS and telematic systems guide presents key findings, includes operator insights, and offers practical advice to help transport operators and vendors select, procure, and maintain GPS and telematics technologies that improve safety, compliance and operational efficiency. More than two-thirds of transport operators now use TCA type-approved telematics devices and/or TCA certified systems. Transport Certification Australia (TCA) helps Australian and New Zealand transport agencies collect trusted data from vehicles, ensuring that government and industry stakeholders can rely on accurate, verifiable information for improved road safety and efficiency.
Artificial intelligence (AI) models are 50 percent more sycophantic than humans according to a study which study tested how 11 widely used large language models (LLMs) responded to more than 11,500 queries seeking advice, including many describing wrongdoing or harm. AI Chatbots — including ChatGPT and Gemini — often cheer users on, give them overly flattering feedback and adjust responses to echo their views, sometimes at the expense of accuracy.
There have been more than 300 applications for the Active Investor Plus residency visa. The “golden” visa allows foreign investors residency if they own a home worth $5 million or more, effecting just one percent of the market. “So far this is potentially a $1.8 billion boost to the economy,” says Ryan Geddes, New Zealand MD for real estate giant Savills, which is beefing up its Australasian operations in anticipation.
New Zealand office employees consider benefits an important part of their remuneration package. More than three-quarters of them are planning to negotiate for enhanced offerings according to a survey by specialised recruiter Robert Half. An agreed bonus coupled with remote working options and flexible working arrangements top the list. Workers in finance, accounting, IT and technology worked for SME, large private sector and publicly-listed companies plus public sector organisations.
A problem which affects the personal and workplace wellbeing of half the world’s population is finally gaining attention. Study of the female reproductive system has long been set back by societal stigma — but also by the fact that most laboratory animals don’t menstruate. Now, researchers have engineered mice that can get a period. They would be used to study reproductive health conditions and treat heavy menstrual bleeding.
