The story of a nurse who lied in order to gain employment in a major New Zealand hospital has come to light in recent months. Her application was riddled with lies including false referees, claiming she was “Employee of the Month” at her previous workplace (which she was actually fired from), and stories of her saving a man suffering from a heart attack on a busy Auckland road. The nurse also had a previous criminal conviction for dishonesty which she did not disclose to her employer.

New Health and Safety legislation has prompted Sir Peter Jackson to resign as a director of Weta Workshop. The design studio founded in 1987 and made famous by the Lord of the Rings trilogy has won five Academy Awards and is now a tourist destination. As of 31 December 2015, Peter Jackson, along with fellow Oscar winner Jamie Selkirk, stepped down from being a director of the Miramar studio but both remain shareholders. Other directors, including Sir Richard Taylor, one of Weta Workshop’s founders, are staying put.

The summer months at the start of the year are invariably when each of us thinks about getting fit and losing weight. We make resolutions, we dream, we plan. Some even follow through by pounding the pavement or biting down on a salad, but by the time March rolls around most of us are right back where we started. Because we understand this struggle, the news that it is possible to be fired for being too fat may be frightening for many.

An Auckland man has been ordered to pay his former employer $7 million in damages - $1 million annually for a 7 year period. What could justify such a severe penalty being imposed on a single person? Can anyone really be liable for such a large sum of money?