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Jobs & benefits
Hours, shifts and breaks
Your employment agreement must set out the maximum number of hours you will ordinarily work in a week. This is usually 40 hours or less, excluding overtime. You can agree to a higher number of ordinary working hours if it is set out in your employment agreement.
If your maximum hours are set at 40 or less, you and your employer must try to arrange your hours so that they’re worked on not more than five days of the week.
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Employment conditions and protections
Community Law
Your local Community Law Centre can provide you with free initial legal advice.
Find your local Community Law Centre online: www.communitylaw.org.nz/our-law-centres
Access the free “Pregnancy Rights: Your legal options before and after pregnancy” booklet. This booklet contains practical answers to questions about pregnancy and the law, and includes information on sexual health and consent, options after a positive pregnancy test, healthcare, education, housing and more.
Online: communitylaw.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Pregnancy-Manual_PDF-for-Web_2021.pdf
Email for a hard copy: publications@wclc.org.nz
Phone: Community Law Wellington and Hutt Valley – 04 499 2928
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment
The Employment website of the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment publishes a range of information on employment relations and minimum rights at work.
Website: www.employment.govt.nz
Phone: 0800 20 90 20
Pay and hours: www.employment.govt.nz/pay-and-hours
Leave and holidays: www.employment.govt.nz/leave-and-holidays
Workplace policies: www.employment.govt.nz/workplace policies and procedures
Te Kauae Kaimahi/New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Te Kauae Kaimahi is the umbrella body for affiliated unions covering every job and industry in New Zealand. It can provide information about which union may cover the type of work you do.
Website: www.union.org.nz
Email: info@nzctu.org.nz
Phone: (04) 385 1334
Labour inspectorate
Labour inspectors monitor and enforce minimum employment conditions. To refer a problem to a labour inspector, you contact the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment.
Website: www.mbie.govt.nz/position-descriptions/employment-services/labour-inspector-employment-services and www.employment.govt.nz/resolving-problems/steps-to-resolve/labour-inspectorate
Phone: 0800 20 90 20
Mahi Haumaru Aotearoa/Worksafe New Zealand
Worksafe is New Zealand’s primary workplace health and safety regulator. The website contains a range of information on workplace health and safety.
Phone: 0800 030 040
Notify Worksafe online: www.worksafe.govt.nz/notify-worksafe
Parental leave payments
For more information on parental leave see Inland Revenue’s website.
Website: www.ird.govt.nz/paid-parental-leave
Office of the Ombudsman
The Ombudsman handles complaints about Government agencies. In the employment context, you can make a protected disclosure (known as whistle-blowing).
Website: www.ombudsman.parliament.nz
Email: office@ombudsmen.parliament.nz
Phone: 0800 802 602
Whistle-blowing/protected disclosure information: www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/what-ombudsman-can-help/serious-wrongdoing-work-whistleblowing
To make a complaint online: www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/get-help-public
The Manual contains over 1000 pages of easy-to-read legal info and comprehensive answers to common legal questions. From ACC to family law, health & disability, jobs, benefits & flats, Tāonga Māori, immigration and refugee law and much more, the Manual covers just about every area of community and personal life.
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