News and releases

An all-of-government plan of action against human trafficking, forced labour and slavery has been released.

The Government has accepted the Holidays Act Taskforce’s 22 recommendations which aim to improve the Holidays Act by making it clearer and providing greater certainty for employers and employees.

The Government has established a Matariki Advisory Group, to determine when and how Aotearoa will celebrate Matariki together as a public holiday from 2022.

The Workplace Relations and Safety Minister has announced that the adult minimum wage will be rising to $20.00 per hour from 1 April 2021.

The Government is moving to better protect security guards’ pay and conditions by adding them to Schedule 1A of the Employment Relations Act. 

The Government has announced it will introduce a Bill to Parliament to increase employees’ minimum entitlement to sick leave from five days, to 10 days.

Changes to the Equal Pay Act come into effect today, establishing a practical and accessible process to raise and consider pay equity claims.

The Government is putting in place a range of immigration policy changes to help fill labour shortages in the horticulture and viticulture industries while ensuring New Zealanders, who have lost jobs due to COVID-19, have the chance to find new employment.

The Government has established class exceptions for border entry for a limited number of veterinarians, deep sea fishing crew, as well as agricultural and horticultural machinery operators.

Bullying and harassment (including sexual harassment) at work are complex problems, which can have significant impacts on workers, businesses, wider community, and the economy.