New Zealand Employment Law: Your Rights at Work
New Zealand employment law sets a floor of minimum rights that an employment agreement cannot undercut, from the minimum wage to paid leave and the right to challenge an unfair dismissal. The main statutes are the Employment Relations Act 2000, the Minimum Wage Act 1983, and the Holidays Act 2003, and a run of 2026 reforms has changed several long-standing rules. This section links to a fuller guide on each topic.
This is general information about New Zealand employment law, not legal advice. For your own situation, contact Employment New Zealand or your local Community Law centre.
Pay and leave
The minimum wage is $23.95 an hour from 1 April 2026, with a starting-out and training rate of $19.16. On top of pay, employees are entitled to four weeks of annual leave and holiday pay after twelve months, 10 days of sick leave a year after six months, and public holiday pay, which is time and a half plus an alternative day for working a public holiday that would otherwise be a working day. The Holidays Act 2003 is being replaced by a new Employment Leave Bill, so some of the leave rules are set to change over the next few years.
Dismissal, grievances, and where they are decided
An employee who believes they were dismissed or treated unfairly can raise a personal grievance, usually within 90 days. The test for an unjustified dismissal is whether a fair and reasonable employer could have done what this employer did, and it covers both the reason and the process. A constructive dismissal, where an employer's conduct forces a resignation, is pursued the same way. Grievances usually begin with free MBIE mediation, and if that does not resolve them they go to the Employment Relations Authority.
A 90-day trial period is available to all employers, but only if it is in writing and signed before the employee starts, and it blocks an unjustified-dismissal grievance specifically, not every kind of grievance.
Redundancy, notice, and restraints
There is no statutory redundancy pay in New Zealand, so redundancy compensation depends entirely on the employment agreement, and a sham redundancy can itself be an unjustified dismissal. Notice periods are set by the agreement, and where it is silent the standard is reasonable notice. A restraint of trade clause binds a departing employee only so far as it is reasonable.
The 2026 reforms
Two changes under the Employment Relations Amendment Act 2026, in force 21 February 2026, are worth knowing. A high-income dismissal threshold removes the right to bring an unjustified-dismissal grievance from employees earning $200,000 or more in total remuneration, and a new statutory gateway test decides who is an employee and who is a contractor. For how employment sits alongside New Zealand's other everyday law, see the New Zealand law guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum wage in New Zealand?
The adult minimum wage is $23.95 an hour from 1 April 2026, up from $23.50. The starting-out and training minimum wage is 80 percent of that, $19.16 an hour. The minimum wage applies to almost all employees regardless of age or whether they are full-time, part-time, casual, or on a fixed term.
How long do I have to raise a personal grievance?
Generally 90 days from when the problem happened or came to your attention, raised with your employer. The main exception is sexual harassment, where the window is 12 months. Raising a grievance is the first step; if it is not resolved it usually goes to free MBIE mediation and then to the Employment Relations Authority, which has its own later deadline.
Am I entitled to redundancy pay in New Zealand?
There is no statutory redundancy pay in New Zealand. Any redundancy compensation comes only from what your employment agreement provides. Your employer must still follow a genuine and fair process, and a redundancy that is not genuine can be challenged as an unjustified dismissal.
Does a 90-day trial period stop me from challenging a dismissal?
A valid 90-day trial period blocks an unjustified-dismissal personal grievance, but only if it was in writing and signed before you started work. It does not block other grievances, such as discrimination or harassment, and it does not remove your other minimum entitlements like the minimum wage and leave.