Employers
Hiring young people
There are rules employers need to follow when they hire people 19 years old or under.
Employment agreements
The rules for A written document setting out the terms and conditions of employment agreed by the employer and employee (also known as a ‘contract of service’). It can include other contractual documents and agreements made by the employer and employee. Every employee must have a written employment agreement.
You must:
- let the employee choose if they want a collective agreement (if there is one) or an individual employment agreement
- provide a copy of the agreement to the intended employee, and
- give them the opportunity to take it away and get advice on the terms and conditions.
Employees 17 years old or under
Employees 17 years old or under can sign an employment agreement, but you should make sure they understand the terms and conditions.
- You should encourage the employee to get help when agreeing to the terms and conditions.
- You could advise the employee to talk to their parents or guardians about the terms and conditions.
Wage and time records
If an employee is 19 years old or under, you must record the employee’s age in your wage and time records.
Pay rate
You must pay at least the The lowest amount an employee can be paid per hour. There are 3 types of minimum wage: adult, starting-out and training. There is no minimum wage for employees younger than 16 years old.
If the employee is aged 16-19, they can be paid a starting-out minimum wage if it applies.
Employees 15 years old or under
There is no The lowest amount an employee can be paid per hour. There are 3 types of minimum wage: adult, starting-out and training. There is no minimum wage for employees younger than 16 years old.
Agreements about employment issues
If you have an employment issue and come to an agreement about it, you can formalise the agreement in a 'record of settlement'.
People aged 16-19 years can sign a record of settlement and this will still be a final and binding document (as if they were legally an adult).
Employees 15 years old or under
If the employee is 15 years old or under, a guardian can sign the agreement on their behalf.
Other work restrictions
There are other work restrictions for people who are 19 years old or under, including restrictions around:
- work hours for school-aged students
- workplaces and roles
- using tractors or other vehicles.
Each of these restrictions is set out in different laws, and different organisations are responsible for them. If you do not follow these laws, you could be fined or get another penalty.
Work hours for school-aged students
If you hire any school-aged students who are 15 years old or under, their work hours must:
- be outside of school hours only (this is an education requirement)
- not be between 10pm and 6am (this is a health and safety requirement).
Outside of school hours restriction
The Ministry of Education is responsible for the 'outside of school hours' restriction. You do not have to meet this restriction if you have a certificate of exemption.
You can read about this restriction in these sections of the legislation:
Section 54 of the Education and Training Act 2000 — New Zealand legislation(external link)
Section 240 of the Education and Training Act 2000 — New Zealand legislation(external link)
10pm to 6am restriction
WorkSafe is responsible for the restriction around not working between 10pm and 6am.
You can read about this restriction on the WorkSafe website or in the legislation:
Young people in the workplace — WorkSafe(external link)
Part 4 of the Health and Safety at Work Regulations 2016 — New Zealand legislation(external link)
Workplaces and roles
If the employee is 19 years old or under, there are certain workplaces they cannot work in or visit. It depends on their age.
Employees 13 years old or under
There are restrictions around looking after children for a person who is 13 years old or under.
Oranga Tamariki is responsible for these restrictions and you can find out more about them on their website:
When tamariki are unsupervised — Oranga Tamariki(external link)
Employees 14 years old or under
If the employee is 14 years old or under, there are certain workplaces they cannot work in or visit.
WorkSafe is responsible for these restrictions and you can find out more about them on their website:
Young people in the workplace — WorkSafe(external link)
Young people at work — WorkSafe (external link)
Employees 17 years old or under
If the employee is 17 years old or under, there are certain workplaces they cannot work in, for example:
- a restricted area of a licensed premises where alcohol is sold, for example, a bar, club or licensed restaurant
- casinos where gambling takes place
- a place that has direct access to gaming machines in gaming venues, for examples, bars, taverns and clubs
- the sex industry.
There are a few different organisations responsible for these restrictions, including the Ministry of Justice and the Department of Internal Affairs. You can read about them on the YouthLaw website:
Before you start work — YouthLaw(external link)
You can also read the sections in the legislation:
Sections 302 and 303 of the Gambling Act 2003 — New Zealand legislation(external link)
Sections 20-23 of the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 — New Zealand legislation(external link)
Employees 19 years old or under
If the employee is 19 years old or under, they cannot:
- work in parts of casinos where gambling takes place, or
- do any gambling-related duties.
The Department of Internal Affairs is responsible for this restriction. You can read about it on the YouthLaw website or in the legislation:
Before you start work — YouthLaw(external link)
Section 303 of the Gambling Act 2003 — New Zealand legislation(external link)
Using tractors or other vehicles and machinery
WorkSafe is responsible for restrictions on using tractors and other vehicles and machinery. You can find information about this on their website:
Children and young people on farms — WorkSafe(external link)
Support for employers
The government offers help to employers to hire, train and progress young people in employment.
Flexi-wage
Flexi-wage from Work and Income is a wage subsidy available for employers to hire people on a benefit.
Flexi-wage — Work and Income(external link)
Māori and Pasifika Trades Training
Māori and Pasifika Trades Training supports young people to take up trades, in regions that have a significant population of Māori and Pasifika.
Māori and Pasifika Trades Training — Tertiary Education Commission(external link)
New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology
New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology offers a range of training and wage subsidies.
New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology(external link)
Skills for Industry
Work and Income's Skills for Industry programme can help with pre-job training to meet business needs, like driver training and pre-trades training that provides a pathway to apprenticeships.
Skills for Industry — Work and Income(external link)
Skills Highway
Skills Highway is a government-funded programme that helps employers to provide literacy and numeracy support to workers and industry trainees.
Skills Highway — Tertiary Education Commission(external link)
Work and Income
Work and Income offers a range of support for employers.
Work experience support
Youth Guarantee
Youth Guarantee initiatives aim to improve young people’s transition from school to further study, training and employment.
Youth Guarantee(external link)
Work and Income (Job search)
Work and Income (Job search) can organise work placements for their job seekers for up to 4 weeks.
Work and Income (Job search)(external link)
Research and Development Experience Grant
The Research and Development (R&D) Experience Grant funds an R&D intern for 10 weeks of full-time work over the summer break.
R&D Experience Grant - Business.govt.nz(external link)
Limited Services Volunteer programme
Limited Services Volunteer (LSV) programme helps young people get ready for work. Work and Income helps businesses to employ LSV graduates with a support package that can include wage subsidies, training, mentoring and in-work help.
Limited Services Volunteer (LSV) programme — Work and Income(external link)