New Zealand
Make employment in New Zealand easy. Let us handle payroll, benefits, taxes, compliance, and even stock options for your team in , all in one easy-to-use platform.
- Capital city
Wellington
- Currency
New Zealand dollar ($, NZD)
- Languages
English and Māori
- Population size
5,122,840
Facts & Stats
- Capital city
Wellington
- Currency
New Zealand dollar ($, NZD)
- Languages
English and Māori
- Population size
5,122,840
- Ease of doing business
Very easy
- Cost of living index
$$$$ (15 of 139 nations)
- Payroll frequency
Bi-Monthly/Monthly
- VAT - standard rate
15%
- GDP - real growth rate
2.8% (2019)
New Zealand is an island nation in the South Pacific. Aotearoa is the traditional Māori name of New Zealand, predominantly made up of two main islands, the North Island and the South Island (as well as other smaller islands). The North Island is home to two-thirds of the 4.9 million residents.
New Zealand has a very strong economy, consistently ranking highly on quality of life measures, making it an attractive place to do business. The land of the long white cloud is home to skilled workers across a diverse range of industries. Agriculture is its largest sector, with dairy farming at the top. The manufacturing, service, construction, and tourism industries are also growing.
The country is known for its beautiful landscapes. Because New Zealand is geographically separated from others, the country offers flora and fauna visitors can’t find anywhere else. This unique natural beauty, combined with New Zealand’s high quality of life is becoming an attractive draw for digital nomads and remote workers looking for an English-speaking relocation option.
Grow your team in New Zealand with Remote
Looking to employ workers in New Zealand? Companies hiring in New Zealand must either own a legal entity in the country or work with a global employment solutions provider, usually one that provides employer of record services.
Remote can employ your team in New Zealand on your behalf through our local legal entity in the country and handle payroll, benefits, taxes, and compliance for your New Zealand team. You can also pay contractors now in New Zealand with Remote.
Risks of misclassification
New Zealand, like many other countries, treats self-employed individuals or contractors and full-time employees differently. Misclassification of contractors in New Zealand may lead to fines and penalties for the offending company.
Employing in New Zealand
Remote makes it easy for companies of all sizes to employ workers in New Zealand using our employer of record solution. We can help employ your Kiwi team using our local New Zealand-based entity. We can handle your payroll, benefits, taxes, and local legal compliance. So you can focus on more important strategic work.
Minimum Wage
The adult minimum wage for NZ in 2023 is $22.70 per hour. The starting out or training minimum wage for NZ in 2023 is $18.16 per hour
The Adult Minimum Wage applies to all employees aged 16 and up who are not starting-out employees or trainees. There is no minimum wage for employees under 16, but full employment rights still apply for all workers between the ages of 13 and 16.
The Starting-Out Minimum Wage applies to workers who are 16 or 17 and who have not yet achieved six months of continuous employment and to 18 and 19-year-olds who have received one or more social security benefits before completing six months of continuous employment. Six months of continuous employment is calculated by calendar date and not by hours worked.
The Training Minimum Wage applies to employees 20 or older with an employment agreement requiring 60 credits per year to become qualified. This often applies to apprentices. However, the Training Minimum Wage does not apply to employees being trained to do their job, such as at the beginning of employment.
Payroll Cycle
For customers of Remote, all employee payments will be made in equal monthly installments on or before the last working day of each calendar month, payable in arrears.
Onboarding Time
We can help you get a new employee started in New Zealand fast. The minimum onboarding time we need is only 4 working days.
Our team ensures your employees are onboarded and paid as quickly as possible while keeping your business compliant with all local employment legislation. The minimum onboarding time begins after the employee submits all required information onto the Remote platform. The onboarding timeline is also dependent upon registration with local authorities.
For all non-nationals of the country of employment, the Right to Work assessment (if applicable) will add three extra days to the total time to onboard. There may be extra time required if we need to follow-up on the right to work assessment.
Please note, payroll cut-off dates can impact the actual first day of employment. Remote has a payroll cut-off date of the 10th of the month unless otherwise specified.
12 Public holidays
Competitive benefits package in New Zealand
At Remote, we’re obsessed with helping you craft the best possible employee experience for your team. We are leading the way in practicing “fair equity,” which means making sure employees everywhere have access to both the required and supplemental benefits they need to thrive (and that will allow you to attract the best local talent).
Our benefits packages in New Zealand are tailored to fulfill the local needs of your employees. Typically, our packages contain some or all of the following benefits:
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Mental Health Support
Pension or 401(K)
Life and Disability Insurance
Taxes in New Zealand
Learn how employment taxes and statutory fees affect your payroll and your employees’ paychecks in New Zealand.
28%
Flat rate
Types of Leave
All employees are entitled to four weeks holiday leave or Annual Leave per each 12 months of employment.
Employment termination
Termination process
The termination process in New Zealand must adhere to a fair and reasonable process. The details are laid out in the Employment Contract offered at the beginning of employment.
A dismissed employee who is not on a trial period is entitled to request a written statement outlining the reason for dismissal within 60 days of being notified of the dismissal. The employer must provide this within 14 days of the request.
Notice period
Employers must give an appropriate amount of notice as listed in the employment agreement. Depending on the nature of the role, 4 weeks' notice is often considered fair in New Zealand.
Severance pay
Severance pay must be given in accordance with the employment agreement.
Probation periods
Employers may use a paid probationary period for a variety of reasons including to assess an employee’s skills or to allow time for an employee to improve. All details must be outlined in the employment contract. The period must include a fair assessment of the employee in writing. A probation period of three months is common.