💡 New Zealand is gearing up for a few updates to employment laws in 2025. Here's a snapshot of what to expect:

💥 Minimum Wage Increase

Good news for workers—minimum wages are on the rise!

Adult minimum wage: Going up from $23.15 to $23.50 per hour from 1 April

Starting-out and training wage: Increasing from $18.52 to $18.80 per hour

💢 Changes to the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV)

There are some exciting updates aimed at simplifying things:

The median wage threshold will be removed

Experience requirements drop to just 2 years

New seasonal visa pathways are being introduced

Job Checks for low-risk employers will be streamlined

Employers and AEWV workers won’t need to complete Employment New Zealand modules anymore.

👋 Updates to the Employment Relations Act 2000 (ERA)

Several tweaks are coming to how employment relations are managed:

New guidelines for assessing remedies in personal grievance claims

An income threshold for unjustified dismissal claims

Employers will have the option to offer employees an exit package to end the employment relationship

Pay deductions may be allowed during partial strikes.

💥 Holidays Act Overhaul

The Holidays Act is getting a refresh, including:

A clearer definition of “gross earnings”

A revised calculation for Ordinary Leave Pay.

What this means for employers? 

It’s a good time to review these upcoming changes and ensure your workplace policies are aligned with the new requirements.