Retain and support staff with assistance from Work and Income

If you employ someone through Work and Income, the agency will work with you to help you retain that employee by providing extra support to help them settle into the role.

This includes the personalised In Work Support service, which is tailored to the needs of each individual employee and aims to get the best possible outcome for employers and employees.

Some employees may even be able to have their wages and training costs subsidised.

On this page:

• Help for new employees
• Help during a business change
• Help for disabled employees

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Help for new employees

In Work Support

In Work Support helps your new employees resolve workplace issues. To be eligible they need to:

• Be registered with Work and Income.
• Have been or be at risk of becoming unemployed for 26 weeks or more.
• Already be employed within the last four weeks in a position which is likely to be permanent.

They also have to meet ministerial eligibility criteria. Find out more about In Work Support by calling the Work and Income Employer Line: 0800 778 008.

In Work Support has been designed to help employers by providing:

• Help with conflict resolution.
• Advice about the services available through other agencies, such as the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment or  Inland Revenue.
• Ongoing support and advice from Work and Income.

In Work Support may also be able to help your new employee with:

• Learning new skills for the job.
• Making sure they get all the support and financial assistance they're entitled to.
• Budgeting advice.
• Conflict resolution.
• Referrals to support and service agencies.

Flexi-Wage and Flexi-Wage Plus

Flexi-Wage and Flexi-Wage Plus subsidies can help with the costs of giving new staff the supervision and training needed to do their job.
Your business may qualify for the subsidies if:

• The person you are employing meets the eligibility criteria.
• The position is on-going and continues after the subsidy has finished.
• The job involves at least 30 hours a week of work (although you may still qualify for the subsidy if the position is less than 30 hours a week).
• You pay the market wages for the job.
• You haven’t dismissed anyone else to employ the person.

If you qualify:

• You sign a formal agreement that outlines the terms and conditions, and sets out the level of subsidy.
• You hire the person and pay their wages, just like you normally would, and keep wage records in case Work and Income need to refer to them.
• As agreed in the contract, you send Work and Income a completed claim form and wage records, and Work and Income direct-credit the subsidy into your business bank account.
• The subsidy is paid for an agreed period of up to 52 weeks.
• You’ll need to pay the balance of the wages, PAYE, GST, ACC levies, and holiday pay as well as take care of health and safety requirements.

Find out more about Flexi-Wage and Flexi-Wage Plus subsidies by calling the Work and Income Employer Line: 0800 778 008

Flexi-Wage Projects in the Community

Projects in the Community is a subsidy to enable employers to provide job seekers with opportunities to participate in community and environmental projects.

The main points for employers to note are:

• Your project must be a fixed term community or environmental project that would otherwise not be done, must not displace existing employees.
• All employers can take part, including community organisations, service groups, education/ local authorities, government departments, farmers or other private sector employers, so long as the criteria are met.

Employers must:

• Organise the project.
• Provide the materials.
• Pay any difference between the subsidy and the wage for the job.
• Pay GST, PAYE, ACC and holiday pay.
• Provide a safe and healthy work environment.

Work and Income stay in regular contact with you throughout the project to provide support to Taskforce Green-subsidised employees.

If you have a particular eligible person in mind, Work and Income are happy to consider them.

For more information about Flexi-Wage Projects in the Community call the Work and Income Employer Line: 0800 778 008.

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Help during business change

Work and Income offers support services for businesses that experience change such as downsizing, closing or relocating.

Work and Income can work with you before and after the change to help your employees find suitable jobs while allowing your business to continue its day-to-day operations up to the date of change.

Work and Income services can include:

• Meeting with you to talk about your situation and needs.
• Co-ordinating services to help you and your affected employees.
• Help with providing training and other assistance to help your employees find other jobs.

All information given to Work and Income remains confidential. You, as the employer, make the decisions about the response and support Work and Income provides.

Although Work and Income can provide support services when your business change occurs, it’s better to contact the agency earlier so it can help those affected before the change.

For more information call the Work and Income Employer Line: 0800 778 008, contact your Regional Labour Market Manager or go online to the Work and Income website to make contact.

Find out more about Redundancy services for employers

Find out more about Restructuring and redundancy.

Find out more about Exiting a business.

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Help for disabled employees

Disabled people or people with ill health may be able to get extra assistance to make it easier for them to get work, stay in work or get training.

Job Support

Your employees may be able to get help with extra costs such as:

• Workplace modifications and special equipment.
• Mentoring and job coaching.
• Physical support.
• Additional costs of transport or parking.

An employee may be eligible for Job Support if they:

• Have a disability or suffer from ill health that is likely to last for more than six months.
• Are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident.
• Normally live in New Zealand and intend to stay here.
• Are not getting weekly compensation under the Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act (2001).

Application forms are available through Workbridge.

Modification Grant

Modification grants help pay for workplace changes or equipment.
It can pay for things like:

• Ramps and handrails.
• Visual aids.
• Computer equipment.

An employee may be eligible for a Modification Grant if they:

• Have a disability or suffer from ill health that is likely to last for more than six months.
• Are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident.
• Normally live in New Zealand and intend to stay here.
• Are not getting weekly compensation under the Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act (2001).

This information is a guide only. Contact Work and Income to talk about your individual circumstances.

Websites that may help

Workbridge administers support funding on behalf of Work and Income. This funding can be used to help with additional costs directly relating to a person’s disability when entering training, a job or self-employment.

The Weka website contains disability information including information about Ministry of Health funding for people with disabilities.