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employment conditions
 New
Zealand provides good working environments for both government
and private sectors.
The amount of pay you can receive for a job varies depending on
where you are employed in the country, your employment agreement,
your experience and qualifications and your employer’s
employment policies.
As a guideline (provided by 2001 Statistics New Zealand), an
electrician can expect to earn between NZ$20,000-$40,000 per year
for a standard 40 hour week. Financial accountants usually earn
between $40,000-$100,000 per annum and very senior financial
accountants may earn over NZ$140,000 per year before tax.
 In New Zealand you are entitled to at least the minimum wage as
set by law if you are 16 years or older. Employment agreements
cannot offer a wage less than the minimum rate, however
apprentices or employers holding special permits may be exempt
from the minimum wage level.
Paying Tax
New Zealand residents and citizens are required to pay
tax on all income received, whether this is generated in New
Zealand or overseas. To do so you will need to apply to the
Inland Revenue Department for an IRD number. This is generally
issued within a few days and is required to start a job or open a
bank account, it also ensure that personal tax records are
recorded properly.
Accident Insurance
Workplace injuries are covered by the Government’s
accident insurance scheme, which is managed by the Accident
Compensation Corporation (ACC). In order to reduce the incidence
of workplace injuries, the ACC also runs incentive programmes
which provide employers with discounts on their premiums if
certain safety targets are met.
Health & Safety
New Zealand’s occupational and safety laws require
all employers to provide a safe working environment. Likewise,
employees must follow all safety procedures.
Employment Agreements
All employers must offer their workers either an
individual or collective Employment Agreement written in plain
language.
 Employment Agreements should include:
- Minimum wages for employees
aged 18 or older
- Minimum wages for employees
aged 16-17
- The same rate for the same
job for male and female employees
- Three weeks’ paid annual
leave after 12 months in the job
- 11 public holidays per year,
when those fall on days of the week when an employee
would otherwise work
- after 6 months’ employment, 5 days of special leave for the next year,
which can be used as sick leave, domestic leave or
bereavement leave
- after 12 months’
employment, up to 12 months’ parental leave
- leave for defence force
volunteers
Employment agreements may also
include conditions relating to duties and responsibilities, the
term of the agreement, pay rates, pay day, hours of work, health
and safety, company policy, redundancy, restraint of trade, etc.
There is no automatic right to the renewal or extension of an
Employment agreement unless this is specifically stated in your
agreement. As a general rule, a short-term agreement means just
that. So it pays to be cautious about your expectations of
continued employment, even though you may feel you have preformed
well in a temporary position.
Resignation
Employees can resign at any time as long as it is within
the conditions of their employment agreement.
Dismissal
 There must be good reason for a dismissal and the
dismissal must be carried out fairly. If the employee believes
they have been treated unfairly in their employment, whether they
have been dismissed or not, they may take legal action against
their employer in the form of a ‘personal grievance’.
Redundancy
There is no right to redundancy compensation unless
employers and employees and/or their union have agreed to it.
This can be before or after an actual redundancy is planned.
Retirement
New Zealand’s National Superannuation Scheme
entitles all to a pension at the age of 65. Residence
requirements vary. There is no set age to retire and it is
illegal to force retirement because of an employee’s age.
Unions and Bargaining
Employees can choose whether they wish to join a union.
Jobs cannot be withheld on the basis of membership or
non-membership of a trade union. Employees who choose to belong
to a union are covered by the union’s collective agreement.
Employees who choose not to belong to a trade union must
negotiate an individual Employment agreement.
New Employees
 Conditions depend on whether a collective agreement
covers the employee’s work. If there is no collective
agreement then an individual Employment agreement is negotiated.
The employer must make a written offer and give the employee the
opportunity to get advice about it. If there is a collective
agreement, the following options are available.
If the employee belongs to the union then conditions of
employment are those in the collective agreement. The employer
and employee can also negotiate extra conditions.
If the employee is not a union member then the employee has an
individual Employment agreement. This comprises the conditions in
the collective agreement and any extra conditions negotiated with
the employer. After 30 days the employee must decide whether to
join the union. If the employee chooses not to join the union
then the employer and employee must negotiate an individual
agreement.
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