In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

This section and sections 5 and 6 apply to any transferred employee.

Unless a transferred employee’s employment contract otherwise provides and subject to subsection (3), the transferred employee’s employment contract continues to apply to that employee, on and from the date the employee transfers to the responsible department, on the same terms and conditions (including the period of the contract)—

If there is a change to an employee’s duties or location arising out of his or her transfer to the responsible department, the conditions of employment of that employee may be varied by agreement to reflect that change but the conditions of employment (as so varied) must be no less favourable than those that the employee was entitled to receive under the employment contract applying to the employee at the date of the transfer.

Subsections (2) and (3) continue to apply to the conditions of employment of each transferred employee to whom this section applies until such time as any of the conditions of employment that apply under the employment contract applying to that employee at the date of the transfer are subsequently varied (otherwise than for the purpose referred to in subsection (3)).

The conditions of employment of each such transferred employee are, on and from the date of any subsequent variation to which subsection (4) applies, to be determined in accordance with the employment contract applying to that employee in the responsible department.

Nothing in subsection (2) or subsection (3) continues to apply to any transferred employee who receives any subsequent appointment, whether within the responsible department or any other department.

For the purposes of any provisions of a transferred employee’s employment contract relating to continuity of service, that employee’s transfer from the Department of Social Welfare to the responsible department is insufficient by itself to break his or her employment.

No transferred employee is entitled to receive any compensation for redundancy or any severance payment because—

No person has any claim against the Crown for breach of any contract merely because the administration of the contract or the benefit or burden of the contract is transferred (in whole or in part) to the responsible department, whether or not the person has agreed to the transfer.

Subsection (1) applies whether or not the transfer involves the responsible department and its employees gaining access to any information, data, programme, intellectual property right, know-how, chattel, equipment, transmission device, or facility of the claimant or any other person.

No person has any claim against the Crown for breach of any lease of any premises which are to be occupied or administered (in whole or in part) by the responsible department merely because of that occupation or administration of the premises by the responsible department, whether or not the person has agreed to the occupation or administration of the premises.

If, before the commencement of this Act, a designated party or designated unit has initiated or become a party to any proceedings (including proceedings involving the exercise by any person of a specified right of appeal or specified right of review, in respect of the Department of Social Welfare), the proceedings may be continued, completed, and enforced by or against the designated successor.

If, before the commencement of this Act, any person was entitled, or claimed to be entitled, to issue any proceedings, apply for or exercise any right of review, or to exercise any right of appeal, referred to in subsection (1),—

All names, brands, stamps, logos, emblems, marks, forms, and other representations or documents that were, immediately before the date of commencement of this Act, in use by the Department of Social Welfare for the purposes of 1 or more of the designated units—

Nothing in this Act affects the appointment of any person as—

Unless the context otherwise requires, in any regulation, rule, order, agreement, deed, instrument, application, notice, direction, contract, lease, or other document in force at the commencement of this Act, the references specified in subsections (2) to (4) must be read in the manner indicated in those subsections.

Every reference to the Director-General of Social Welfare (or the chief executive of the Department of Social Welfare), when used in relation to 1 or more of the designated units, is a reference to the chief executive of the responsible department.

Every reference to the Director-General of Social Welfare (or the chief executive of the Department of Social Welfare), when used in relation to his or her functions, duties, or powers under the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989, is a reference to the chief executive of the responsible department.

Every reference to any designated unit, where the unit is referred to in its own right and the reference does not apply to other units of the Department of Social Welfare, is a reference to the responsible department.

Unless the context otherwise requires, when used in relation to the following enactments, every reference to the Department of Social Welfare is a reference to the responsible department:

Unless the context otherwise requires, every reference to a Social Worker employed in the Department of Social Welfare, when used in relation to any enactment, is a reference to a Social Worker employed by the responsible department.

The Director-General of Social Welfare may transfer to the chief executive specified responsibilities for the administration of a contract or lease or any specified benefit, or specified burden, of a contract or lease if—

A transfer may be made under subsection (1) only if—

A transfer made under subsection (1) is binding on every party to the contract or lease.

The enactments specified in the Schedule are amended in the manner indicated in that schedule.

Amendment(s) incorporated in the Act(s).