Maybe you were let go the week after you raised a problem. Maybe your final pay never came right, your holiday pay looks wrong, or you were dismissed without a fair process. New Zealand gives workers real protection against unjustified dismissal and unjustified disadvantage under the Employment Relations Act 2000 — but almost everything turns on one short deadline: a personal grievance must usually be raised with your employer within 90 days. That clock starts the day it happened, not the day you realised it was unfair. You don't need money or a web form to find out where you stand. This page gives you free, plain-English legal information about your rights as a Canterbury worker — general information to help you act fast, not legal advice, and reading it creates no lawyer-client relationship. Legal Hotline is not a law firm.
Free legal information. Not legal advice. Available 24/7 across Canterbury.
Write down dates and dollars before you cool off. Note your last day worked, the exact day the problem happened (dismissal, demotion, warning, pay shortfall), and roughly what you think you are owed — unpaid wages, holiday pay, or notice. One clock is almost certainly already running: under section 114 of the Employment Relations Act 2000 you generally have just 90 days from when the problem happened, or when you became aware of it, to RAISE a personal grievance with your employer (the limit is 12 months for sexual harassment grievances). Save your employment agreement, payslips, rosters, texts, emails, and any dismissal letter to your personal phone or email now, before you lose access to a work account. In Canterbury, employment disputes that aren't resolved are decided by the Employment Relations Authority's Christchurch office. Get free legal information about which deadline is closest before another day comes off the clock.
Here's what blindsides Canterbury workers. You can have a rock-solid story — dismissed days after you raised a safety concern, or pushed out with no fair process — and still lose it, because a personal grievance must be RAISED with your employer within 90 days of when it happened. That is far shorter than people expect, and many assume they have months or years. The clock starts on the day of the dismissal or disadvantage (or the day you became aware of it), not the day you got around to it. Miss it and you generally need the employer to agree, or special leave from the Employment Relations Authority on 'exceptional circumstances' grounds — which is genuinely hard to obtain. The only grievance with a longer window is sexual harassment, at 12 months. 'Raising' a grievance can be as simple as a dated letter or email clearly stating what went wrong — but it has to actually happen, in time. If you were dismissed or punished at work, don't sit on it. Find out exactly how many days you have left.
If you'd rather start on your own, or you need free help and a referral, these are real, verified New Zealand resources — several based right here in Canterbury. Contact them directly:
I was dismissed the week after I raised a problem at work in Christchurch. Is that legal in New Zealand?
It may well be an unjustified dismissal — or 'retaliation' that amounts to an unjustified disadvantage — under the Employment Relations Act 2000. New Zealand has no 'at-will' employment: an employer needs a genuine reason AND a fair process. But you generally have only 90 days to raise a personal grievance with your employer, counted from the dismissal or when you became aware of it. Don't guess at the math. Free legal information can help you work out how much time you have and what to do next.
Does New Zealand have 'at-will' employment — can my boss fire me for any reason?
No. New Zealand has no at-will employment. Under the Employment Relations Act 2000 an employer can only dismiss you for a genuine, justified reason and only after a fair and reasonable process — proper investigation, a real chance to respond, and an open mind. A dismissal can be 'unjustified' because of the reason, the process, or both. If you were let go, it's worth finding out whether your dismissal meets that test before the 90-day clock runs out.
How long do I have to do something about an unfair dismissal in New Zealand?
Usually just 90 days. Section 114 of the Employment Relations Act 2000 requires you to RAISE a personal grievance with your employer within 90 days of the action, or of when you became aware of it. The only major exception is sexual harassment, which has a 12-month window. After 90 days you generally need your employer's consent, or special leave from the Employment Relations Authority on 'exceptional circumstances' grounds, which is hard to get. This is the deadline that most often sinks otherwise strong cases.
What does it actually mean to 'raise' a personal grievance?
Raising a grievance means telling your employer, within the 90-day window, that you believe you have a personal grievance and broadly what it's about — for example an unjustified dismissal or unjustified disadvantage. It is often done in a clear, dated letter or email. It does not require a lawyer or a court filing, but it does have to actually happen within time. Getting the wording and timing right matters, so it's worth understanding the requirements before you send anything.
My final pay and holiday pay look wrong. Can I do anything in Canterbury?
Yes. Final wages and accrued annual leave are owed when your employment ends, and the Holidays Act 2003 governs how holiday pay is calculated — an area where New Zealand employers very frequently get it wrong, sometimes for years. You can raise it directly, use free MBIE mediation, or ask the Labour Inspectorate (Employment New Zealand) to investigate minimum-entitlement breaches without hiring a lawyer. Free legal information can help you check whether your final figure is short.
What is the Employment Relations Authority, and where is it for Canterbury?
The Employment Relations Authority is an investigative body — not a formal court — that decides employment disputes that mediation hasn't resolved. For Canterbury and the wider South Island, its Christchurch office is at Level 1, Taylor Shaw House, 53 Victoria Street. Most problems go to free MBIE mediation first; only if that fails does the Authority investigate and issue a determination. Its decisions can be challenged in the Employment Court.
I'm on a 90-day trial period. Does that mean I have no rights if I'm let go?
Not necessarily. Since December 2023, 90-day trial periods are available to employers of any size, and a VALID one can block an unjustified-dismissal grievance. But the trial period only counts if it was correctly worded and signed before your very first day of work, and many trial clauses fail those tests. Even on a valid trial period, you keep other protections such as against discrimination and harassment. Whether yours is valid is worth checking before you assume you have no claim.
What can I actually win if my personal grievance succeeds?
Under section 123 of the Employment Relations Act 2000 the Employment Relations Authority can order reinstatement to your job, reimbursement of lost wages (often up to around three months' pay, less what you earned elsewhere), and compensation for humiliation, loss of dignity and injury to feelings — the 'hurt and humiliation' remedy. Amounts vary widely with the seriousness of what happened. Nothing is guaranteed, which is exactly why understanding the strength of your situation early helps.
What is the minimum wage in New Zealand, and what if I'm being paid less?
Under the Minimum Wage Act 1983 the adult minimum wage is $23.50 an hour, rising to $23.95 from 1 April 2026. Being paid below the minimum is a breach of minimum entitlements, and you can recover the shortfall — the Labour Inspectorate (Employment New Zealand) can investigate and enforce this without you needing a lawyer. If your pay looks short, it's worth getting free information on how to claim what you're owed.
Do I need money or a lawyer to deal with an employment problem in New Zealand?
No. Free MBIE mediation is designed to resolve most problems without lawyers, the Labour Inspectorate can chase unpaid wages and holiday pay for you, and Community Law Canterbury gives free advice to those who qualify. If your case is strong and complex you may want a lawyer, and legal aid exists for those who meet the income test (though it can be repayable). Free legal information itself costs nothing — start there.
Does Legal Hotline represent me, and is this legal advice?
No. Legal Hotline is not a law firm, and this page gives you general legal information — not legal advice — and reading it creates no lawyer-client relationship. What it does is help you understand your situation fast, flag the deadline that's closest (almost always that 90-day clock), and point you toward the right free service or, if you want one, a New Zealand-qualified employment lawyer.
Are you a New Zealand-qualified employment lawyer practising in Canterbury who acts for employees? We connect worried, time-pressured workers — facing unjustified dismissal, unjustified disadvantage, unpaid wages and holiday pay, discrimination, and harassment — with lawyers who can help. If you'd like to receive referrals as our network grows, get in touch about joining. (This is a path for lawyers; workers should use the free information and services above.)
General legal information, not legal advice. We research every page from primary sources — legislation, the courts, and government legal-aid bodies — and check it for accuracy. Spotted something out of date? Tell us at admin@platfirm.ai.
Whatever happened at your Canterbury job — dismissed without a fair process, pushed out for raising a concern, shorted on wages or holiday pay — New Zealand law may be squarely on your side, but usually only if you raise a personal grievance within 90 days of when it happened. You don't need money or a lawyer to find out where you stand. This page is free, plain-English legal information to help you move fast — not legal advice, and it creates no lawyer-client relationship. Legal Hotline is not a law firm. Work out your deadline before another day comes off the clock.
Free legal information. Not legal advice.