Better protections for contractors

What we are consulting on

The Government wants to ensure that all workers in New Zealand have access to decent work with minimum standards and conditions. There are concerns that some contractors are vulnerable to poor outcomes, because they lack both the protections offered to employees by law, and the power to negotiate a better deal.

We are consulting the public on four groups of possible options for change. These options aim to:

• ensure that workers receive their minimum rights and entitlements
• reduce the imbalance of bargaining power between firms and contractors who are vulnerable to poor outcomes
• ensure that system settings encourage inclusive economic growth and competition.

We are keen to hear from anyone who is interested in this work or could be impacted by changes to the rights and protections of contractors in New Zealand. We would like you to tell us what you think the advantages, disadvantages and costs of these options might be, and how these options could be effectively designed and implemented to deliver better outcomes for people in New Zealand.

We encourage anyone with an interest in this area to make a written submission, or to complete our online survey.

Your feedback will help us develop a comprehensive response to the challenges faced by contractors in New Zealand.

Related documents

If you’re a contractor, take our 10 min survey

We are interested in hearing about your personal experience of working as a contractor and the changes you think Government should make to improve your working life. The online survey can be completed on a smartphone, tablet or computer and does not require you to have read the discussion document. It will take around 10 minutes to complete.

Complete the online survey(external link)