Employer Bulletin

Here's what is leading the news for employers this week: A much-anticipated Bill to ensure employees are paid correctly when taking time off work has just passed its first reading at Parliament, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden announced today. The Employment Leave Bill seeks to replace the Holidays Act 2003 and offers a simple, workable framework that gives businesses certainty, reduces potential error, and fixes what matters for employers and worker

Here's what is leading the news for employers this week: New Zealand’s latest international trade statistics show robust performance across global markets, reflecting the skill, innovation, and resilience of Kiwi exporters who continue to rank among the best in the world, Trade and Investment Minister Hon Todd McClay says. Exports rose to $29.2 billion for the December quarter, up $2.2 billion on the same period last year, reinforcing the vital role trade plays in supporting

Here's what is leading the news for employers this week: The government is leveraging public sector energy demand to drive new energy projects and grow our national supply, Energy Minister Simon Watts says. “As part of the government’s energy package, we are pursuing possible long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) across the public service starting with our three largest energy users: Health New Zealand, the New Zealand Defence Force, and the Department of Corrections,” M

Here's what is leading the news for employers this week: The Employment Relations Amendment Bill has passed its third reading, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says.“This Bill is about backing business to hire with increased confidence. ”The Act will: Clarify contractor vs employee status with a four part ‘gateway test’ to ensure businesses and workers have more clarity from the start of their contracting arrangement. Ensure accountability for serious

Here's what is leading the news for employers this week: The government will contract to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import facility in a critical step to strengthen New Zealand’s energy security and support economic growth, Energy Minister Simon Watts says. The decision follows extensive analysis and the first stage of procurement. “New Zealand is experiencing a renewable electricity boom, but a rapidly declining gas supply has left our electricity sector exposed dur

Here's what is leading the news for employers this week: WorkSafe has updated its enforcement policies and processes to give businesses more clarity about how it makes enforcement decisions and allow them to address and remedy safety issues faster, Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden announced. “On my health and safety roadshow I heard concerns about WorkSafe’s approach to enforcement. In particular that WorkSafe can be heavy-handed in punishment wh

Total exports were valued at $80.7 billion in the year ended December 2025, according to figures released by Stats NZ. “This is the first time that annual exports have reached $80 billion,” international accounts spokesperson Viki Ward said. The value of total exports in the year ended December 2025 increased by $9.9 billion (14 percent), compared with December 2024. In today’s Bulletin: Employer successfully appeals finding of constructive dismissal Issuing trespass notice f

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced that the 2026 General Election will be held on Saturday 7 November. “Continuing the recent tradition of announcing the election date early in the year ensures New Zealanders have certainty,” Mr Luxon says. “Kiwis can also have certainty that our government will continue governing throughout the year to deliver on our plan to fix the basics and build the future." “When we took office, the country was going in the wrong direction,

Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay has today set the scope of the country’s investment agency, Invest New Zealand, announcing strategic growth areas and launching three investment prospectuses. “New Zealand has underachieved in attracting foreign investment, and this dedicated agency is key to us achieving more. More capital means stronger business, more jobs and a growing economy,” Mr McClay says. New Zealand’s stock of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) amounts to 37%

Applications are now open for the Business Investor Visa, a new immigration pathway designed to attract experienced businesspeople who want to invest in and grow established businesses in New Zealand. The Business Investor Visa offers that applicants invest $1 million in an existing business for a three-year work-to-residence pathway, or $2 million for a 12-month fast-track. “We want to help keep businesses going where New Zealand business owners look to retire,” Immigration

Minister for Trade and Investment; and Agriculture, Todd McClay, has cautiously welcomed the United States announcement this week removing the additional reciprocal tariffs on a range of New Zealand agricultural products, including beef, offal, and kiwifruit. These products represent around 25% of our exports to the United States, worth approximately NZ$2.21 billion annually.“The US remains an important trade partner for New Zealand and the decision to lift these tariffs is a

Up to $450 million of new deals and partnerships were concluded this week at the China International Import Expo (CIIE), Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay has announced. More than 20 Memorandums of Understanding and supply agreements between New Zealand and Chinese companies were signed during Mr McClay’s visit to CIIE. More than 80 New Zealand companies participated from a diverse array of sectors. “The new ‘Grass-Fed’ standard is one example of this government suppo

In the September 2025 quarter: the unemployment rate was 5.3% the employment rate was 66.6% annual wage inflation was 2.1% average ordinary time hourly earnings were $43.60. “The unemployment rate has been over 5% for the last four quarters. The last time that the unemployment rate was 5.3% was in the December 2016 quarter,” labour market spokesperson Jason Attewell says. There were 160,000 unemployed people in the September 2025 quarter, as measured by the Household Labour F

European Union Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay have adopted a joint declaration to focus on reducing costs and boosting bilateral trade, during the inaugural NZ-EU Trade Committee meeting hosted by New Zealand in Queenstown. Commissioner Šefčovič has completed his first visit to New Zealand to join Minister McClay at a NZ-EU Business Summit attended by 500 New Zealand and European businesses. “The EU is one of New Zealand’s mo

Aotearoa New Zealand’s consumers price index (CPI) increased 3.0 percent in the 12 months to the September 2025 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today. The 3.0 percent increase follows a 2.7 percent increase in the 12 months to the June 2025 quarter. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s target band for the annual inflation rate is 1 to 3 percent. “The 3.0 percent annual inflation rate in the September 2025 quarter is the highest since the June 2024 quarter when

The government welcomes new data showing a healthy growth in international visitor numbers and improved confidence across the tourism industry. “International tourism, as New Zealand’s second highest export earner, is a key part of our economic recovery,” Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says. “So, it is great to see that international visitor arrivals in August were up 7.5% from the same time last year. With summer around the corner, we are making steady progr

New Zealand businesses will have a better shot at winning government contracts as a result of changes to government procurement rules, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The new rules agreed to by Cabinet will take effect on 1 December. “More than 900 submissions were received during consultation on the new rules earlier this year,” Ms Willis says. “Businesses shared that the lack of weighting for New Zealand’s interests in the evaluation criteria was holding them

The economy contracted in the June 2025 quarter, while unemployment continued to rise. New Zealand’s gross domestic product (GDP) fell 0.9 percent in the June 2025 quarter, following a 0.9 percent increase in the March 2025 quarter. Manufacturing, down 3.5 percent, was the main contributor to the quarterly fall in GDP. Construction, down 1.8 percent, also contributed. GDP fell 1.1 percent over the year ended June 2025 compared with the year ended June 2024. GDP per capita fe

Cabinet has agreed to policy proposals for new employment leave legislation: a simpler and more workable replacement for the Holidays Act 2003. Progressing reforms to the Holidays Act to simplify the law, give businesses certainty and reduce compliance costs is an action under the government's Going for Growth plan. New Zealand’s current leave system is complex and confusing. Employers struggle to understand and apply the Holidays Act correctly, and workers struggle to unders

Economic data released reflects the impact of global uncertainty on consumers and businesses, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ figures released show real Gross Domestic Product fell 0.9 per cent in the second quarter of the year after a 0.9 per cent increase in the first three months of the year. “The second quarter of the year started the day before United States tariffs were announced,” Nicola Willis says. “The economy had been growing strongly in the previous