My employer told me to start work before signing a contract. Is that allowed?
Your employer must give you a written employment agreement. If you start work before you sign it, any 90-day trial period in it is not valid. Read the agreement before you start and ask about anything you don't understand. An employer who does not provide a written agreement can be given a NZ$1,000 infringement fee.
Official figures
- Adult minimum wage
- NZ$23.95 an hour (before tax), or NZ$958 for a 40-hour week; applies from 1 April 20261
- Starting-out and training minimum wage
- NZ$19.16 an hour (before tax), or NZ$766.40 for a 40-hour week1
- Who can be paid the starting-out wage
- Workers aged 16 or 17 who have worked for their current employer for less than 6 months in a row; or workers aged 16 to 19 whose employment agreement requires them to complete at least 40 credits of industry training a year; or workers aged 18 or 19 who have received a specified benefit for 6 months or more in a row (and have not worked for the same employer for 6 months in a row since starting the benefit)1
- Who can be paid the training wage
- Workers aged 20 or over whose employment agreement requires them to complete at least 60 credits of industry training a year (usually apprentices)1
- Who is not covered by the minimum wage
- There is no minimum wage for workers under 16. There are also a few other exceptions, such as prisoners and disabled workers with an exemption permit1
Official sources
- Minimum wage rates and typesEmployment New Zealand (MBIE) · employment.govt.nz
- Creating an employment agreementEmployment New Zealand (MBIE) · employment.govt.nz
- Trial periodsEmployment New Zealand (MBIE) · employment.govt.nz
- Record-keepingEmployment New Zealand (MBIE) · employment.govt.nz
Read the full guide: Minimum wage and employment agreements →
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Answers are based on official New Zealand government pages. Check the official source before you act. This is not immigration, legal or tax advice.
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