No. I only send invoices for open workshops once our course is underway. Most people forward their invoices through to their manager or finance teams for payment. Remember to get approval for this before you book a course. Invoices need to be paid within 21 days. If it's not paid then, you'll get an automated reminder so you can help with follow-up. When your invoice is paid, you'll be able to see the updated payment status in your worksense account. Thanks!

I currently offer one free support session for Health & Safety Representatives who have attended a workshop with me. Most people use them for specific advice, reflection time, action planning or further support. My expertise leans towards worker engagement, participation and representation, but I'm able to guide your approach to other issues and tools I'm a member of NZISM but I am not a Health and Safety consultant. This is not a sales pitch :) Your PCBU can use the HASANZ register to find an a qualified expert to get advice on specific matters.

You don't need to buy anything extra. Everything's included in your workshop fee :) I send pdf files of electronic resources out to you 4 days before your workshop. If you need them earlier (e.g. for accessibility checks or to print them off) just send me a message. It's up to you whether you print them or display them on another screen. PS: If you'd love to be able to order printed copies of resources (approx $35 incl courier) send me a message with your feedback and I'll try adding it as an optional extra.

The short answer is: because I don't need to. Unless my projected income reaches $60,000 per year I don't have to gather our 15% goods and services tax (GST). I'm well short of that cap. I'm self employed and lucky to be financially secure. My intention is to make a living wage.

I want to encourage everyone to support your attendance but I also know things can change quickly. To avoid waiting around for people who aren't able to make it, I give a generous discount to those who let me know in advance. Send me a quick message before the workshop starts so I'll know not to wait for or worry about you. I'll be in touch after the workshop to check in and see if you need anything from me. Don't forget to sign up for another course.

E-invoicing looks super easy! My invoicing/payments provider doesn't yet offer it, but I'm chasing them up nicely :) In the meantime, I send learners an email with a link to the invoice file at the time of your workshop. Payment can be made the older-fashioned way: into my bank account with the invoice number as reference.

Absolutely. As soon as you're elected, you gain all of the rights and functions of an HSR. You gain two additional powers when you complete training. Here's WorkSafe's easy intro to HSR rights and here's Schedule 2 of the legislation, which lists all HSR (and Committee) rights. It's a lot. It's easy to feel overloaded with this new role. Attending my initial HSR training workshop will help you understand your functions and fulfil them effectively. You'll feel empowered and know where to focus your energy. You'll be assessed for Unit Standard 29315 (a current requirement of initial HSR training) during your workshop. Once you pass assessment for US29315 you can:  issue Provisional Improvement Notices (PINs) to address a health or safety problem,  and  order unsafe work to cease

If you want your employer to pay your workshop invoice (and your time) you should get approval from them first. Check my training rights FAQ. Most people lodge the invoice with their employer (manager/finance team) for payment. If you're self-employed (like me!) or not in paid work at the moment, you'll need to pay your own invoice. I send invoices once our workshop is underway. Pre-payment is not required. To see your invoice or generate evidence of your payment, log into your worksense.nz account to see your payment status. It can take me a couple of days to reconcile payments. You can save/print evidence of payment from your account if you need it for tax or reimbursement purposes.

Clauses 21-26 of the Worker Engagement, Participation, and Representation Regulations set out training rights for HSRs. Read all 6 clauses to be sure you understand. Your PCBU is usually your employer. In short: If an HSR doesn't yet hold Unit Standard 29315 then they're entitled to 2 days' worth training to get it. Once an HSR has Unit Standard 29315 they can access up to 2 days per year for additional training. The legislation and regulations don't specify what this additional training could be about, which means everyone should take a broad view. The WorkSafe page on training for HSRs says the "entitlement allows you to attend training about workplace health and safety, or an aspect of workplace health and safety, that comes under the occupational health and safety subfield of the New Zealand Qualifications Framework, or that you and your PCBU agree is relevant to the HSR role." I recommend checking in with the people who elected you to be their HSR and asking what kinds of things they'd like you to know more about. Send me a message if you want help checking out training options. But PCBUs can't be forced under this Act to provide more than the following number of days training per year: These numbers of days of leave are written as maximums but I think they really should be seen as minimums, especially when there's high turnover of HSRs. Unions and good employers who recognise the value of appropriately trained workers and representatives will agree to provide a higher minimum number of training days, possibly in their Collective Employment Agreement. Check your CEA, or your Worker Participation Agreement or HR/H&S policies if you need to know if your PCBU has a specified number of days.

That's fair, especially if they're paying your invoice and/or paying you for your time at the workshop. Within 24 hours of full attendance at your workshop, you'll get a congratulatory email confirming your attendance and what this means for you and your workplace. You can forward that through to your employer and team :) You'll also get a separate email asking you for feedback about the workshop. If you've passed assessment for Unit Standard 29315 you'll get a third email asking you for data so we can formalise that achievement with NZQA.

The regulations say that Health and Safety Representatives can choose their training in consultation with their employer (PCBU) about the time, date, location and costs.   My workshops are a perfect option if you have the tech to participate in a Zoom workshop love learning in a group have a quiet/calm space to learn from If your workshop includes assessment, it's all done during the workshop (no homework!). It's also up to you whether you print off our course resources or use electronic versions (sent 6 days before your workshop). Other benefits to employers: send one or two staff at a time no travel, meal, accommodation costs low course fees and gentle change fees Find a workshop here and ask your employer if you can attend. They have to let you know as soon as they can and within 3 months of your request.

You'll need a desktop computer or laptop to participate effectively in our workshop. A tablet or phone won't give you enough screen space. As the Zoom meeting host, I've enabled options to allow you to join the Zoom from multiple devices at the same time. If you can't get in using multiple devices, it'll be settings on your personal or work account blocking you from doing so. In that case, please join the Zoom with the device that has your camera & speakers + mic. Keep the device steady and away from background noise (e.g., keyboard/shuffling papers). If you're joining with more than one device, remember to mute yourself on all but one of your devices so we don't get an audio feedback loop.

Make a test call from the computer you'll be using for the workshop (don't worry, you won't call a real person). Try to make this call from the physical space you'll be using when you join the workshop, so you can test your internet connection speeds as well. If you're having problems with a work computer or a work Zoom account please ask your IT team for help. If you've tested everything and then it doesn't work when you join, don't panic. We'll either figure things out together or find another solution. If you're feeling unsure you're welcome to book a early & short pre-workshop support session with me.

Zoom fatigue is a thing! At the beginning of each workshop we discuss what we all need to be well during the day. Any great health and safety workshop sets good health and safety rules :)  We keep things simple and accessible without fancy apps to learn/install. All you need is Zoom and be willing to try a few 'tricks'. * I share clear session plans and instructions. You'll have a copy of my slides before the workshop. * I pay attention to you, not to my slides: they're just for page numbers, instructions, details. Everything is in your course manual. * during our breaks (10 mins+) we do anything but look at a screen * we hide our 'self view' so our brains aren't distracted * in whole group discussions I set the gallery view and say who'll be speaking next. You can 'pass' anytime. * if you're in a quiet space, you can stay off mute if you want to. * you don't have to 'look' like you're paying attention. Some people focus by moving around or looking away. It's okay. * we might keep our cameras on so we know who's in the room, but we'll decide together. If you need accessibility support, please reach out now. I really want to make these workshops work for everyone.

For the best connectivity experience it's a good idea to download and install the free Zoom Desktop Client on the computer you'll be using for the workshop. Sign in to change your name and settings. Please don't pay for anything just to join the workshop. If you're using a work computer, you might need IT permission or support to install and run Zoom. Please try before you book your workshop. 

Two monitors will simplify your workshop experience If you don't have printed course resources, you'll love having two monitors. You might want the Zoom gallery view on one screen and your course manual on the other screen, for example. Put the Zoom gallery view nearest to your camera. For Day 2 of our initial HSR training workshop, a second monitor will really help. You'll probably want the Zoom gallery view on one screen (near your camera) and your iQualify assessment content on your second screen.

You're very welcome. I create a supportive learning environment where we help each other participate, but if you can't join the meeting or we can't see/hear each other, we won't be of much help. If you can do these things, we'll figure the rest out together: join the Zoom meeting control your camera (so we can see you + you can stop/start video) control your microphone (mute/unmute) hear the meeting (usually using either your laptop mic/speaker array or headphones)

Please check your junk mail folder. Add the domain "site-members.com" to your safe senders list. Here's some tips on how to do that. If you're on a work computer these settings might not be available to you. Maybe we should switch your booking to a personal email address? Send me a message with both email addresses and ask me to change your bookings/login email address.

I'm happy to re-send templates from any workshop you've already attended with worksense. Send me a message and I'll get onto it. If you're requesting a Provisional Improvement Notice (PIN) or Recommendation template/examples, remember that I'm here to help. Have you booked your free post-workshop support session?

If you've come to my 2-Day initial H&S training workshop you'll know before the end of Day 2 whether you've passed the assessment. You can read more about the assessment here. If you've passed, you'll get a congratulatory email right after the workshop that you can forward to your manager and H&S team as temporary evidence. You'll get a separate email about formalising your achievement with NZQA. You'll give me some more information which will be used to ensure your Unit Standard (29315) is correctly assigned to your NZQA record. You'll then have formal evidence of your Unit Standard. You can contact NZQA anytime to check your current record.

Of course! Drop me a note before your workshop just so I know you're not currently employed by someone else. I'll discreetly ensure we include your perspective in workshop activities and discussions. It's up to you whether you explain your employment status to the group. While my Workplace Leaders H&S (1 Day) workshop may feel more comfortable for you, it's your choice. If you want to achieve Unit Standard 29315, then you will need to complete initial HSR training (2 Days). This does NOT automatically give you HSR rights: you must also be a worker formally elected by members of your workgroup to represent them on health and safety matters (see WorkSafe). If you're elected in future, you should still refresh your training but you won't need to repeat your US29315 assessment.

Senior/executive leaders or board members are very welcome to attend my 1-Day Workplace Leaders H&S workshop. Note: If you're also an HSR (for a senior management workgroup, for example) please see my other FAQ in this section. Are you a Health & Safety Officer? ​Many people in senior management roles believe they are a Health and Safety Officer or PCBU (Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking), but it's often not the case. Check with your employer to find out who the Health and Safety Officers are at your workplace. H&S Officers are executive governance roles with specific responsibilities and obligations under the Health & Safety at Work Act. If your role influences how the organisation is managed then you could be an Officer. If you only advise or make recommendations then you are not an Officer. Click here for the WorkSafe FAQs. While Health & Safety Officers are very welcome to come along to my 1-Day training and you'll absorb really useful perspectives, you'll need much more than this. Send me an email if you'd like help finding reputable additional training and governance resources. In the meantime, check out the good stuff at the Business Leaders Health & Safety Forum.

Please don't worry. We need everyone's perspective. While some of our content is complicated, we will help each other through. Workplace health and safety requires us to work together and value everyone. If we only ever learn and design things for 'typical' workers then everyone whose body, brain or ability is different will be more at risk. That's not ok. When you register I will ask you if you have any learning needs. It's confidential: I only use it to adjust my teaching to fit the whole group. Maybe you want to tell me you're new to using English, or that you have impaired vision or hearing, or that you like to move around a lot while you learn. I'm here to help. I will contact you if I need to know more. If you're doing the 2-Day initial HSR training workshop, the unit standard is set at NZQCF Level 3. You can read more about the course here. Still worried? Let's have a chat on Zoom about it.

If you're a Health & Safety Representative and have not yet passed assessment for Unit Standard 29315 then you should do the 2 day initial HSR training workshop to gain your full powers. Contact NZQA if you're not sure whether you have US29315. It was introduced around the time when our legislation changed (2015). If you're an HSR and you already hold US29315, you don't need to repeat the initial training or assessment even if you've changed workplaces. You're very welcome at our workplace leaders workshop.