Working Time Rules: New Zealand
New Zealand: working hours, holiday calendars and annual leave rules for practical workforce planning.
This is a general overview, not legal advice. Limits, reference periods, exceptions, and record-keeping duties vary by sector and contract and change over time. Confirm the current rules with the official source and a qualified adviser.
Working week used in calculations40 hours per week8 hours a day over 5 days
Minimum annual leave4 weeksCurrent Employment New Zealand guidance gives at least four weeks of annual holidays after twelve months of continuous employment. A week follows the actual work pattern: three scheduled days per week mean twelve days across four weeks, not twenty. Leave dates, pay and any transitional legislation must be checked against the current official guidance.Source
Statutory working time
For New Zealand capacity planning, use the employee’s agreed working week. A week may consist of different numbers of days and hours; the official leave guidance gives examples based on the actual working pattern. The editable five-day, eight-hour scenario does not determine a legal weekly maximum, overtime or an approved annual schedule.
What to check before you rely on this
- The current statutory limits, reference periods, and any opt-outs.
- Sector or collective-agreement rules that may override the defaults.
- How overtime is authorised, recorded, and compensated.
- What working-time records you must keep and for how long.