Living and working on a New Zealand dairy farm - Settlement Support

New Zeal<strong>and</strong> employment law
You are protected by the minimum entitlements in law.
You are entitled to a current written employment agreement, signed by your
employer <strong>and</strong> by you <strong>and</strong> a copy of the agreement for you to keep. An employment
agreement records the terms <strong>and</strong> conditions of your work with your boss.
Annual holidays
You are entitled to at least four weeks of paid annual holidays once you
have completed a year of employment. You can take at least two weeks
together if you want. You cannot be forced to cash up any leave. If your
employment is for less than one year you are entitled to be paid holiday
pay at the end of your employment calculated at 8% of your gross
earnings (that is your total income before any tax is taken or other
adjustment made).
If you have a fixed term employment agreement of less than 12 months
you can receive 8% of gross earnings (that is your total income before
any tax is taken or other adjustment made) added to your regular pay
instead of paid time off.
Public holidays
In addition to annual holidays, you are also entitled to public holidays.
Where a public holiday falls on a day you would normally work you are
entitled to have the day off work <strong>and</strong> be paid as if you had worked it. If
you work on a public holiday you are entitled to receive time-<strong>and</strong>-a-half
for the hours you work <strong>and</strong> if the public holiday you work on is a day you
would normally work then you are also entitled to another day off on pay.
New Zeal<strong>and</strong> public holidays are:
Christmas Day
25 December
Boxing Day
9 | A guide for migrant dairy farm workers
26 December
New Year’s Day & the day after 1 <strong>and</strong> 2 January
Waitangi Day
Good Friday & Easter Monday
ANZAC Day
6 February
Dates change each year
25 April