🇳🇿 New Zealand · Employment & Labor
Hiring rules, employment contracts, payroll, social insurance, and EOR options.
Quick answer
New Zealand employment is governed by the Employment Relations Act and minimum standards: a national minimum wage, four weeks' paid annual leave, and protection through the personal-grievance process. You must have a written agreement; KiwiSaver is the retirement-savings scheme, and disputes go to mediation and the Employment Relations Authority.
Employment in New Zealand is governed by the Employment Relations Act; Employment New Zealand sets out minimum rights and a statutory minimum wage.
- All employees must have a written employment agreement.
- A statutory minimum wage and minimum leave entitlements apply.
- Employment New Zealand publishes rights and dispute processes.
Step-by-step
- 1
Get a written employment agreement
Every employee must have a written employment agreement; check pay, hours, leave and any trial or probation clause.
- 2
Know your pay and hours rights
You must be paid at least the minimum wage, with agreed hours; there are rules on breaks, and time-and-a-half is not automatic but often agreed.
- 3
Understand leave entitlements
You get four weeks’ paid annual leave after 12 months, plus public holidays, sick leave and bereavement/family-violence leave.
- 4
Sort tax and KiwiSaver
Your employer deducts PAYE and, unless you opt out, KiwiSaver retirement-savings contributions.
- 5
Know the trial-period and grievance rules
Small employers may use a 90-day trial period; otherwise you can raise a personal grievance for unjustified dismissal or disadvantage.
- 6
Resolve disputes via mediation
Use free mediation and, if unresolved, the Employment Relations Authority.
Checklist
- Written employment agreement (+ trial clause if any)
- Minimum wage + agreed hours + breaks
- 4 weeks' annual leave + public/sick/bereavement leave
- PAYE + KiwiSaver (unless opted out)
- 90-day trial (small employers) awareness
- Personal-grievance rights (90-day window)
- Anti-discrimination protections
- Dispute route (mediation / Employment Relations Authority)
Official authorities
- Employment New Zealand
Employment rights and standards.
Frequently asked questions
What is a personal grievance?
A claim an employee can raise (e.g. for unjustified dismissal or disadvantage), usually within 90 days of the issue.
Is a written agreement required?
Yes — every employee must have a written employment agreement by law.
What is KiwiSaver?
A voluntary work-based retirement-savings scheme; employees are auto-enrolled with the option to opt out, and employers contribute.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.
Government portals
- govt.nz — New Zealand government services portal
- Immigration New Zealand — Visas, work/student visas, and residence
- Inland Revenue (IRD) — Income tax, GST, and the IRD number
- business.govt.nz — Company registration, employment, and compliance