With the growing season in full swing, you’ll no doubt be expanding your workforce, whether it’s pickers, packers or other casual workers you need. So, it’s timely to consider your legal obligations. The following is a reminder from the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment.
Ensuring employees have the right to work
If you wish to employ someone who is not a New Zealand citizen, you should first check their immigration status to see
Whether they have the right to work here:
- The conditions of their visas, and
- The expiration date of their visa.
You can do this using VisaView – an online system for employers provided by New Zealand Immigration. You can access VisaView here
Your responsibilities when hiring:
Employment agreements – as an employer, you must:
- Provide an employee with a written copy of their agreement, and
- Keep a copy of the employment agreement (or the current signed terms and conditions of employment).
You must keep an 'intended agreement' even if the employee hasn’t signed it. Find out more here
Minimum rights
These are legal requirements and apply even if they’re not in the employment agreement. As an employer, you can’t reduce these or trade them off for other things. Find out more here
If you are unsure of your obligations, and the rights and responsibilities of casual or migrant workers, be sure to check out the information on the Employment New Zealand website here