If you work on a public holiday that is a normal working day, you are entitled to an alternative holiday. An alternative holiday compensates you for having to work on a public holiday. These are sometimes referred to as "a day in lieu".
Annual holidays
Usually refers to how much paid time off work you can have in a year. The law provides for four weeks paid annual holidays per year.
Bereavement leave
Means paid time off work when someone close to you dies. Under the law you get three days paid bereavement leave when a close relative or family member dies, otherwise you can get one day paid bereavement leave if your employer agrees.
Casual work
Casual work can be sometimes tricky. Usually it is working only as and when the employer tells you to work. This means you will not always have work available, but the employer may call you if they need to. This can sometimes happen because it is hard for the employer to predict when that work needs to be done, or when the work needs to be done quite quickly. If you are employed to do casual work, this must be made clear in your employment agreement.
Collective agreement
A collective agreement is an employment agreement that is negotiated by a union that covers a group of employees.
Deductions
Your employer cannot deduct (take away) money from your wages, without your agreement in writing. The law protects the employee's right to receive wages from their employer without unauthorised deductions. The common exception to this are the levies the employer is required to deduct by law, such as tax and ACC.
Employment agreement
A legal document that is a written record of all the things you have agreed to as part of your job. Your employer must give you a written employment agreement by law. This is sometimes incorrectly referred to as an employment contract.
Employment Relations Authority
The Employment Relations Authority resolves employment relationship problems that cannot be solved through mediation. The Authority is not a court. It looks into the facts and makes a decision based on the merits of the matter, not on technicalities. The Authority can also refer matters to mediation.
Entitlement
Usually refers to what you are entitled to as part of your employment agreement and your minimum rights by law. Your minimum rights given to you by law are things like sick leave, bereavement leave, minimum wage and annual holidays.
Fixed term
This refers to employment which starts and finishes at a particular time. There are special rules for being employed on a fixed term agreement. You can only be employed on a fixed term if there is a genuine reason (like filling in for a permanent employee, seasonal work like fruit picking, or until a project is completed). Your employer must also tell you how and when the employment will end, before you start the job.
Full-time
Usually means you work around 40 hours per week.
Health and Safety Inspector
A Health and Safety inspector enforces the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, which requires your employer to provide a safe workplace. If you believe your workplace is unsafe you may contact a Health and Safety inspector in your region who may investigate the matter.
Labour inspector
A labour inspector enforces what is called the "minimum code" or the minimum rights you have under the law. They can investigate cases where an employer does not provide these minimum rights. For example if they pay you less than the minimum wage per hour.
Mediation
Mediation is a process in which people, with the assistance of a mediator, talk about the issues and reach agreements that will best suit them. The Department of Labour provides free mediation services to help people resolve their employment relations problems quickly and effectively.
Minimum wage
This refers to the least you can get paid by law. There is no minimum wage for employees younger than 16.
New entrant
Under the law a new entrant is an employee aged 16 or 17 who has not completed 200 hours or 3 months of employment (whichever is shorter), and who is not supervising or training other workers. A new entrant may be paid the new entrants minimum wage.
Otherwise working day
Working out what would be an "otherwise working day" is key to working out what you should get for working on a public holiday. Ask yourself "Would I have normally worked on that day?"
If the answer is "Yes" and you do not work, you are entitled to be paid out for the public holiday.
If the answer is "Yes" and you work on the public holiday, you are entitled to be paid time-and-a-half and be provided an alternative holiday (sometimes called a "day in lieu")
If the answer is "No" and you work on the public holiday, you are entitled to be paid time-and-a-half, but not to the alternative holiday
If the answer is "No" and you do not work, you are not entitled to be paid out for the public holiday
Part-time
Usually means you work less than 40 hour per week, like 15 or 20. As a part-time employee you have the same rights as a full-time employee.
Pay-as-you-go
In some cases if you are employed on a fixed term (such as doing a seasonal job), or if you work casual hours where it is not practical for the employer to provide you with four weeks annual holidays, the employer may provide you with 8% of your gross (before tax is taken out) earnings instead of annual holidays. This is paid to you together with your normal wages.
Personal grievance
A personal grievance is a specific type of employment relationship problem as defined in law. There are specific reasons for which you can raise a personal grievance, such as unjustified dismissal, harassment or discrimination. If you think you have suffered a personal grievance, you need to let your employer know within 90 days of it happening, or you finding out about it.
Probation period
Probation periods are different to trial periods. During the probation period your employer still needs to follow a fair disciplinary or dismissal procedure. If you have been working on a probation period you may raise a personal grievance on the grounds of unjustified dismissal, if you think the employer did not have good reason to dismiss you.
Public holiday
We have 11 paid public holidays every year (New Years Day, January 2nd, Provincial Anniversary Day, Waitangi Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Anzac Day, Queen's Birthday, Labour Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day). The Christmas and New Year holidays (Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Day and January 2nd) can carry over to the Monday or Tuesday after the holiday if they happen on a weekend and you don't normally work weekends.
Seasonal job
A seasonal job is usually a type of fixed term agreement where the employer needs some extra workers for a certain job that comes up every 'season', like for example to pick apples when they ripen. After the work is completed (for example, when all the apples are picked) the employer does not need the workers and the fixed term ends.
Sick leave
Means paid time off work when you are sick or injured and can't work. Under the law you get five days sick leave after being with an employer for six months, and an additional five days from that point on for every year of employment.
Time-and-a-half
If employees work on a public holiday (unless they only work on public holidays) they are entitled to be paid "time-and-a-half". This means that your standard hourly rate is multiplied by 1.5. For example, if you are normally paid $13 per hour, you would be paid $19.50 per hour (13 x 1.5 = 19.5) for working on a public holiday.
Trial period
An employer who employs 19 or fewer people, may employ you on a trial period of up to 90 calendar days. During the trial period the employer can give you notice that they will dismiss you from the job. If they do so, you can't take a personal grievance for unjustified dismissal.
Union
A union is an organisation which supports employees in the workplace by acting as an advocate for them and standing up for worker's rights. They often act as a middle person between employers and employees. Unions bargain for better conditions in collective agreements and help employees with work related issues. People pay a fee to become a member of a union.
