Maybe you were let go and told it was a 'restructure'. Maybe your final pay never came right, your holiday pay looks wrong, or you were pushed out after raising a concern. New Zealand gives workers strong, nationwide protections under the Employment Relations Act 2000 — the same law applies whether you work in Gisborne, Tairāwhiti or anywhere in the country — but most of those rights run on a clock, and for a personal grievance the clock is just 90 days. You do not need money or a web form to find out where you stand. This page explains your options in plain English, points you to the Gisborne District Court and the local Tairāwhiti Community Law Centre, and tells you the deadline that matters most. It is general legal information to help you act, not legal advice, and it creates no lawyer-client relationship. Legal Hotline is not a law firm.
Free legal information. Not legal advice. Available 24/7 across Gisborne.
Write down dates and dollars before you cool off. Note your last day worked, the exact day anything happened (dismissal, demotion, a warning, the pay problem), and roughly what you think you are owed — unpaid wages, holiday pay under the Holidays Act 2003, or notice. One clock is almost always running: under section 114 of the Employment Relations Act 2000 you must raise a personal grievance with your employer within 90 days of the action that caused it, or of when you became aware of it. (For sexual harassment the window is 12 months.) Save your employment agreement, payslips, rosters, texts and any dismissal letter or email to your personal phone or email now, before you lose access to a work account. Then get advice early — the free Tairāwhiti Community Law Centre and the free government mediation service are both options below.
Here is what blindsides people. You can have a genuinely unfair dismissal — sacked without a real reason, or after a process that gave you no chance to respond — and still lose it, because you must raise a personal grievance with your employer within 90 days of the dismissal (section 114 of the Employment Relations Act 2000). That is far shorter than most people assume, and 'raising' it does not just mean stewing on it — you have to actually tell the employer, in a way that makes clear you are alleging a grievance, within those 90 days. After that, you generally need either the employer's consent or special 'exceptional circumstances' leave from the Authority, which is hard to get. The one wider window is sexual harassment, where you now have 12 months. The clock starts the day they acted, not the day you realised it was unfair. If something has gone wrong at your Gisborne workplace, do not sit on it — get advice early while you still have time to act.
If you would rather start on your own, or you need free help and a referral, these are real, verified New Zealand resources — several local to Gisborne and Tairāwhiti. Getting advice early can point you to the right one for your situation, but here they are directly:
I was sacked from my Gisborne job and I think it was unfair. How long do I have to do something about it?
Usually 90 days. Under section 114 of the Employment Relations Act 2000 you must raise a personal grievance with your employer within 90 days of the dismissal (or of when you became aware of it). 'Raising' it means actually telling the employer you are alleging a grievance — not just feeling aggrieved. Miss the 90 days and you generally need the employer's consent or special leave from the Authority, which is hard to get. Get advice early so you do not run out of time.
Is New Zealand an 'at-will' country — can my employer just fire me for any reason?
No. New Zealand is not 'at-will'. To dismiss you fairly an employer generally needs a good reason and a fair process — that is the 'justification' test the Employment Relations Authority applies. If they get the reason or the process wrong, you may have a personal grievance for unjustified dismissal. The main exception is a valid 90-day trial period. If you were let go and told it was just 'business', it is still worth checking whether the dismissal was justified.
I was dismissed during a 90-day trial period. Do I really have no rights?
Not necessarily. Since 23 December 2023 any employer can use a 90-day trial period (section 67A), and a valid one can stop you raising a personal grievance for unjustified dismissal. But the rules are strict: it must be in your written agreement, agreed in good faith, and signed before your first day, and you must not have worked for that employer before. Many trial periods are invalid because the employer got the paperwork wrong — so it is worth checking before you assume you have no claim.
My final pay and holiday pay look wrong. What can I do?
Holiday-pay miscalculation under the Holidays Act 2003 is one of the most common underpayments in New Zealand, so you may well be owed more than you think. You can raise it with your employer, take it to free MBIE mediation, or contact the Labour Inspectorate (Employment New Zealand), which enforces minimum pay and holiday-pay entitlements. Keep your payslips and employment agreement — they are the key evidence.
What is the minimum wage in New Zealand right now?
From 1 April 2026 the adult minimum wage is $23.95 an hour, set under the Minimum Wage Act 1983. The starting-out and training minimum wages are $19.16 an hour. These apply nationwide, including in Gisborne. If you are being paid less than the minimum that applies to you, that is a breach the Labour Inspectorate can help with.
Do I have to go to court, or is there a cheaper way to sort an employment problem?
There is a cheaper way first. The usual starting point is free mediation through MBIE (phone 0800 20 90 20), where an independent mediator helps both sides reach an agreement; a signed settlement is binding. Only if mediation does not resolve it does the matter go to the Employment Relations Authority, which investigates rather than running a formal trial. You do not have to start in a courtroom.
I resigned because my workplace became impossible. Have I given up my rights?
Maybe not. If you were effectively forced to resign by how you were treated, that can be a 'constructive dismissal', which you can still raise as a personal grievance. But the same 90-day clock runs — from the date you resigned — so do not delay getting advice. Write down what happened and why you felt you had no choice but to leave.
Where would my employment case actually be dealt with if I live in Gisborne?
For employment matters, you would usually start with free MBIE mediation, then the Employment Relations Authority, whose North Island offices cover the Gisborne region. General civil and criminal court matters in the area are heard at the Gisborne District Court (Tūranganui-a-Kiwa) at 1 Customhouse Street, which also houses the High Court, Family Court and Disputes Tribunal. For free local help, the Tairāwhiti Community Law Centre is at 85 Lowe Street.
What can I actually win if my personal grievance succeeds?
Under section 123 of the Employment Relations Act 2000 the Authority can order reinstatement to your old job, reimbursement of lost wages (often starting around three months' pay, with discretion to award more), and compensation for humiliation, loss of dignity and injury to feelings. The hurt-and-humiliation awards are grouped in bands, with the top band running above $50,000 and some serious cases reaching six figures. Every case is different, so these are ranges, not promises.
Do I need a lawyer or money to start an employment claim?
No, not to start. MBIE mediation is free and you can use it yourself, and the Tairāwhiti Community Law Centre offers free information to everyone and free advice to those who qualify. Legal Aid may help with a lawyer if you meet the criteria. A Gisborne employment lawyer can represent you if you want, but cost should not stop you from finding out where you stand.
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 creates no lawyer-client relationship. What it does is help you understand your situation quickly, flag the 90-day deadline that usually matters most, and point you to the local Gisborne and national services that can help. Always get advice on your own specific circumstances before acting.
Are you a New Zealand-qualified employment lawyer who acts for employees in Gisborne and the Tairāwhiti region? We connect worried, time-pressured workers — facing unjustified dismissal, unjustified disadvantage, trial-period disputes, unpaid wages and holiday-pay claims, and harassment matters — with lawyers who can help. If you would like to receive referrals as our network grows, get in touch about joining. (This is a path for lawyers; workers should use the free 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 job — sacked without a fair reason, pushed out, underpaid, or shorted on holiday pay — New Zealand law may be squarely on your side, but only if you act before the clock runs out, and for a personal grievance that clock is just 90 days. You do not need money or a lawyer to find out where you stand. Start with the free Tairāwhiti Community Law Centre (85 Lowe Street, Gisborne) or free MBIE mediation (0800 20 90 20), and get advice early. This is general legal information to help you move fast — not legal advice, and it creates no lawyer-client relationship. Legal Hotline is not a law firm. Do not wait until another day comes off the clock.
Free legal information. Not legal advice.