Employment in Aotearoa New Zealand
Starting a new job is an important but challenging life experience. It can be helpful to be familiar with some key concepts in the employment process. An employee can be employed on a full-time, part-time, or casual basis. A casual employee does not necessarily work specified hours.
In New Zealand, employment contracts can be ‘permanent’ or ‘fixed-term’. A permanent contract offers work on a regular basis while a fixed-term contract will end after a specified date. A "seasonal" employee is engaged to work until the end of a season, and this type of contract is common in the agricultural sector. Lastly, a ‘triangular’ employment situation is one in which work is contracted to a company or other third party, which then sub-contracts the job to the actual employee.
Payment for work may take the form of wages or a salary. Wages are typically paid on the basis of the number of hours worked, whereas a salary is a set amount of money, expressed in terms of total annual pay, which is given to the employee regardless of the number of hours worked. Employees have the right to annual leave, sick leave, bereavement leave, maternity/paternity leave, public holidays, and other types of leave if they meet certain criteria. It is worth knowing your rights as a worker.
Your Employment Rights
Basic labour rights are protected under New Zealand law, and cannot be removed through a contract. Any employment contract attempting to do so would be illegal, and would not be enforceable on either party. For example, an agreement attempting to offer an employee compensation below the minimum wage could be challenged in court as an illegal contract. You can inform yourself more fully about your labour rights through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).
KiwiSaver Mechanism
KiwiSaver is a voluntary savings programme to encourage saving and future planning in preparation for eventual retirement. You can decide upon signing up what percentage of your income you will put towards your retirement goals. The options are 3%, 4%, 6%, 8%, or 10% of your gross salary (your total remuneration before tax).
Starting Your Own Business
If you have ever considered going into business for yourself or founding your own company, this section explains some important steps to help you start down that road. The government has established a 10-step guide for starting a business.
Resources for Qualified Migrants Looking for Work
Work Connect is a programme aimed at those who need assistance building their support networks in New Zealand. Migrants who have a qualification recognised by New Zealand, and whose partners and any adult children have lived in the country for less than five years, are eligible to attend these workshops.
