When: 1 April 2017
What: The new minimum wage rates are:
- Adult — $15.75 an hour
- Starting-out — $12.60 an hour (up from $12.20)
- Training — $12.60 an hour (up from $12.20)
- Starting-out and training minimum wages are 80% of the adult minimum wage.
Why: Government must by law review the minimum wage rates every year.
What you’ll need to do: You and your staff can agree to any wage above the minimum rate. If your employment agreements are a few years old, you can use this as a chance to update them. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) have an easy to use tool, the Employment Agreement Builder. Note that it is a legal requirement to have a written employment agreement with all your staff.