Employment agreements
Once you find a job you’ll be offered an Employment Agreement. All employers must offer their workers either an individual or a collective Employment Agreement written in plain language.

All employers must offer their workers either an individual or a collective Employment Agreement written in plain language.

What employment agreements include

Main legal requirements:

· minimum wages for employees aged 18 or older.

· minimum wages for employees aged 16 to 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 paid public holidays per year, when these fall on days of the week when an employee would otherwise work.

· after six months' employment, five days of sick leave for the next year.

· bereavement leave – three days on the death of a close family member, or one day for another person where your employer agrees.

· parental leave – the rules around parental leave are currently under review (for up-to-date information contact the Department of Labour's Employment Relationship Service (ERS)).

· leave for defence force volunteers.

Employment agreements may also include conditions relating to:

· duties and responsibilities.

· the term of the agreement.

· pay rates and basis for pay.

· other payments.

· pay day.

· method of pay.

· pay review.

· hours of work.

· holidays and other leave.

· training.

· health and safety.

· consultation.

· company policies/codes of conduct.

· restraint of trade.

· ending the agreement - resignation, retirement and dismissal.

· redundancy.

· contract renewal price.

You will be offered an employment agreement when you take a job in New Zealand. If it’s an individual one it’s written just for you and your job. If it’s a collective one, other employees have the same agreement as yours. There are things that employers have to put into agreements. Your employment agreement will include provision for:

· annual leave.

· sick leave.

· wages or salary.

· duties and responsibilities.

· hours of work.

And it will be written in plain English. You can find out more about employment agreements and rates of pay in the Employment Relations Service of the Department of Labour.

There is a minimum youth rate which must be paid to all young people under the age of 20. Less than 3% of the population are employed at these levels and those that are work in unskilled areas.

The Employment Relations Act ensures that any employment contract must contain a number of key clauses, including:

· wages, hours of work, holidays, sick leave entitlements.

· a term, with an expiry date for collective agreements.

· a disputes procedure.

· a procedure for personal grievances.

Sex, marital status, religion, age, disabilities cannot be discriminated against, and strict laws enforce this.

While the law sets the minimum for annual leave, sick leave, statutory holidays, minimum wages etc., it is up to the employee to negotiate better conditions than the minimum.

If problems do arise in an employment relationship, employees and employers can get information and guidance by contacting the Employment Relations Service. Freephone: 0800 800 863.