Leave and holidays Te whakamatuatanga me ngā hararei

Leave comes in many shapes and sizes. Annual leave is usually planned, and public holidays are predictable. But other types of leave can come up, so it’s good to be prepared.

Knowing the different types of leave

All employees are entitled to certain types of paid leave.

Annual leave 

Taking annual leave gives people a break to refresh and recharge. If they want to take two weeks or more at once, you’ll need to let them, but you can discuss the timing. On the other hand, if someone has plenty of leave built up, you can make them take some or all of it.

Sick leave  

Sick leave is for time off when your employee or their family member falls sick. Encourage them to take time off if they’re sick so they can recover faster.

Parental leave 

Parental leave applies if an employee or their partner has a baby or will be responsible for a child under six. The employee must meet certain conditions. 

Bereavement leave 

Employees can take bereavement leave when a loved one dies. How much paid time they get depends on how they are related to the person who has passed away. 

Family violence leave  

When your employees have difficult times, do what you can to support them, such as being flexible and granting leave when they need it. For example, family violence leave if they experience family violence or abuse.

Make sure you have a leave policy

You need a policy that sets out your different types of leave and what you expect. The Workplace Policy Builder lets you decide how detailed your policy is. Select from prepared text and use prompts to complete the template.

Workplace policy builder

Managing annual leave

Managing annual leave well for your team helps keep your business running smoothly and your team happy. Encourage staff to plan and submit leave requests early, especially around busy times.

Use a shared calendar and have a clear leave policy so everyone knows what to expect.

Public holidays

Depending on your business, you may want your employees to work on public holidays. For example, if you have a retail business that caters to the public. 

You can require employees to work those days if their contract says they have to, and if they usually work that day.

Learn more about the types of leave

LAST REVIEWED: 27th June 2025

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