New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, part of the Oceania region. It consists of 2 main islands and 700+ smaller islands.

New Zealand is a developed country that ranks highly in quality of life, education, protection of civil liberties, government transparency, and economic freedom. The country’s unique natural beauty and quality of life make it the perfect place for remote workers.

The minimum wage in New Zealand is NZD 21.20 per hour,  and a standard workweek is around 40 hours per week at 8 hours per day. Overtime work is regulated by the employment contract and is mutually agreed upon by the employee and employer.

Parental Leave

Maternity leave is known as primary carer leave in New Zealand, and applies to pregnant employees, their spouse or partner, and employees who are going to have the primary responsibility to care for a child under 6 years old permanently.

Employees who are pregnant are entitled to 26 weeks of primary care leave that is paid between NZD 177 to NZD 586 per week by the government.

Sick Leave

Employees are entitled to 10 days of sick leave after 6 months of working with the same employer. The sick can be taken to care for the employee themself, their partner, or a dependent.

Paid Leave

New Zealand has 11 public holidays, and employees are entitled to at least 4 weeks of paid time off each year. Employees can also qualify for other types of leave, such as civic duty, armed forces, and stress leave.

Process

Terminations in New Zealand must be fair and reasonable, the details of which are usually laid out in the employment contract.

Notice Period

The length of the notice period is usually also listed in the employment agreement, around 4 weeks.

Severance Pay

Severance pay must be given according to what is stipulated in the employment agreement.

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