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Employment and workplace laws

New Zealand employment laws facilitate and encourage fair and positive employment relations. Employees have legal entitlements to do with their employment agreements, holidays, privacy, wages, human rights, parental leave and other employment matters. Employers have certain responsibilities too and if you employ staff, it's important to know what these are. This is an introduction to employment and workplace law.

New Zealand employment legislation Opens in a new window

Online access to copies of key New Zealand employment legislation including the Employment Relations Act, the Holidays Act, the Equal Pay Act, and the Minimum Wage Act.

This information is brought to you by Department of Labour

The New Zealand Employment Relations Act Opens in a new window

A Department of Labour document outlining the Employment Relations Act 2000 and the amendments affecting the act. The purpose of the act is to build productive employment relationships and positive employment environments.

This information is brought to you by Department of Labour

What legal rights do employees have? Opens in a new window

All employees in New Zealand have certain legal minimum entitlements to do with holidays, leave, pay, human rights and union membership. Employers must meet these minimum conditions, but they can also choose to provide their employees with better ones

This information is brought to you by Department of Labour

Gender inclusive job evaluation Opens in a new window

Ensure all your employees are treated equally. Following the guidelines in this Standard means you can be confident that all your employees have fair pay, treatment, and employment opportunities.

This information is brought to you by Standards New Zealand

Discrimination in the workplace Opens in a new window

The Human Rights Act 1993 protects people from unlawful discrimination. This fact sheet focuses specifically on discrimination in employment and looks at what unlawful discrimination is, indirect discrimination, who is protected, and a variety of scenarios where discrimination can occur.

This information is brought to you by Human Rights Commission


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23 percent or almost one in four employees in New Zealand work in the wholesale and retail trade industries.