Upholding workers' rights

Need to know

Employers and employees, including casuals, have important rights and responsibilities to each other. These are called employment standards. All businesses in Aotearoa New Zealand must make sure that they are meeting minimum employment standards.

This includes making sure all employees have a written employment agreement (employment contract), that they are paid correctly (minimum wage), get all their breaks and leave entitlements, understand their rights and get equal opportunities in the workplace.

While flexible working is not legally required, you must by law consider employee requests to change their work arrangements, including place, hours and days. See Employment New Zealand for a full list of minimum legal requirements.

Make sure your organisation is meeting relevant obligations. Use this Q&A to help you go above and beyond regulatory compliance.

How it works

Scroll down and answer the questions to review how your business upholds the rights of workers.

This will help you identify the areas where you are doing well or need to improve. Plus there’s helpful advice on making changes and promoting your successes.

Keep a handy record of your answers by downloading and completing the checklist. Your answers are not saved in Docket.

Step 1: Manage

Do you extra take steps to educate your employees about their rights?

YES

Great! It’s likely businesses that buy your products and services will want to hear about this. Here are some examples of how you communicate this when bidding for new work or reporting on your sustainability actions.

“We understand the legal requirement to educate our workers about their rights. This is not a box-ticking exercise for us. We are committed to best practice." [Include examples]

"We have a thorough induction process that introduces new employees to their roles and employment rights.”

“In addition to regular reviews and check-ins with an employees manager, we make sure all staff have access to an HR advisor / career counsellor or other support should they require independent advice.”

“We make sure employees are aware of and have access to the educational websites hosted by government agencies [e.g. Employment New Zealand]."

Sustainable action isn’t one size fits all. Make sure you adapt how you communicate this based on the actions you’re taking.

Want to learn more about best practice or how you could do more?
Click ‘No / Unsure’ below for more information and resources.
NO / UNSURE
Educating your employees about their rights is considered best practice. There are many ways in which you can do this, but the important thing is to make sure your employees have access to information about their rights and know where they can go for advice or help.

Examples of ways businesses do this successfully include:
- Information on rights provided to new employees in their welcome packs
- Induction process introduces new employees to their roles and rights
- Access to an HR advisor, career counsellor or other support available should employees require independent advice
- Employment New Zealand E-learning modules provided to all staff
- Staff forums with invited speakers on the topic of workers' rights
Learn more

E-learning modules to share with employees - Employment New Zealand

Do you strive to provide your employees more than minimum rights?

YES

Awesome work. Here are some examples of how you could communicate this when bidding for new work or reporting on your sustainability actions.

“We are committed to going beyond minimum employment standards and, wherever possible, doing what we can to ensure the wellbeing of our workers. For example, we pay the Living Wage instead of the minimum wage to all our staff."

"We have a flexible working policy that allows all employees to work from home or other locations and at hours outside 9-5 provided it does not impact their ability to complete their work."

"We provide an additional [x] weeks paid parental leave to government provision."

"We have an Employee Assistance Programme that allows all our employees to access free and confidential mental health support."

Want to learn more about best practice or how you could do more?
Click ‘No / Unsure’ below for more information and resources.
NO / UNSURE
Businesses that go above and beyond compliance with New Zealand Minimum Employment standards are frequently recognised as being more socially sustainable. Some ways businesses go about this include:
- Paying the Living Wage instead of the minimum wage
- Providing flexible working
- Providing longer parental leave
- Providing employees and their families free and confidential access to Employee Assistance Programme for mental health services
Learn more

Living Wage Movement Aotearoa New Zealand

Step 3: Supply Chain

Do you only buy products and services only from suppliers and other businesses that uphold their workers' rights?

YES

Well done! Here are two examples of you could communicate this.

"We are committed to buying only from businesses that uphold their workers' rights. We prioritise buying from businesses that can show evidence they go above and beyond legal minimum requirements."

Still unsure what best practice means or feel like you could do more to improve? Click No/Unsure below for some more information and resources.
NO/UNSURE

The best way to make sure that workers' rights are upheld in your supply chain is to buy products and services only from businesses that can show evidence that they meet all New Zealand Employment Standards. Where possible, best practice is to prioritise buying from those businesses that can show they go above and beyond minimum compliance.

Businesses operating legally in Aotearoa New Zealand should be meeting this standard.

However, you may want to take extra steps to make sure of this if the business you are buying from is offshore or you believe there is a risk of non compliance. Alternatively, ask more questions to find out if a business is going above and beyond minimum compliance so you can prioritise it as a supplier.

Take action

Share Docket with businesses in your supply chain to get them started on their sustainability journey.

Also, check out the Eliminating modern slavery section for more detailed considerations about making sure workers in your supply chain are treated well.

Learn more

Benefits of sustainability for your business and supply chains - Sustainable Business Network

Sustainable procurement training and resources - Sustainable Business Network