Work & employment · Business owner
Employment basics before hiring staff
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Understand written agreements, minimum employment rights and record-keeping before hiring.
Employment New Zealand explains that an employer must provide a written employment agreement and allow the employee to seek advice before signing. An agreement cannot remove minimum employment rights, even if both parties agree.
Review the official requirements for wages, breaks, holidays, leave and a safe workplace when preparing employment arrangements. Use the current official rates and eligibility rules rather than an old payroll example. Employees and contractors have different legal rights, so do not treat those labels as interchangeable.
Key facts
- Employers must give employees a written employment agreement.Sources: Employee rights and responsibilities
- Employers cannot give employees less than their minimum legal employment rights.Sources: Employee rights and responsibilities
Official sources
- Employee rights and responsibilities
Employment New Zealand · Accessed
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Review history (1)
Revision 1 ·
Reviewed employee rights guidance, replaced an obsolete source URL and removed numeric entitlements. Migrated linked facts and retained original publication date.