Maybe you were let go without a proper process. Maybe your final pay never came, your holiday pay looks wrong, or you were pushed out for raising a concern. New Zealand gives every employee real protection — the right to a fair process before dismissal, four weeks' paid annual leave, the minimum wage — but the most important right of all runs on a short clock: you usually have just 90 days to raise a personal grievance. You don't need money or a web form to find out where you stand. This is general legal information to help you act in time — 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 West Coast.
Write down dates and dollars before anything fades. Note your last day worked, the exact day the problem happened (your dismissal, demotion, the warning, the unpaid pay run), and roughly what you think you're owed — unpaid wages, holiday pay, your final pay. One clock matters more than any other: under the Employment Relations Act 2000 you must raise a personal grievance with your employer within 90 days of the action happening, or of you becoming aware of it (12 months if it involves sexual harassment). Miss that window and your claim is "out of time" — you can only continue if the employer agrees or the Employment Relations Authority grants leave for exceptional circumstances under section 115. Save your employment agreement, payslips, texts, rosters and any dismissal letter to your personal phone or email now, before you lose access to a work account. Then get advice on which deadline is closest.
Here is what catches people out. You can have a clear-cut story — dismissed without a proper process, pushed out after raising a safety concern — and still lose it, because a personal grievance must be raised with your employer within 90 days of the action happening or of you finding out about it. That window is far shorter than people expect, and it starts running from the day the employer acted, not the day you realised it was unfair. Miss it and your claim is "out of time": you can only carry on if the employer consents, or if the Employment Relations Authority grants leave because of "exceptional circumstances" under section 115 — and the Authority sets that bar high. One narrow exception: grievances involving sexual harassment now have a 12-month window. If something has gone wrong at work, don't sit on it over a long West Coast winter. Get advice early and find out exactly how many days you have left.
If you'd rather start on your own, or you need free help, these are real, verified New Zealand services — several built specifically for workers and several that cover the West Coast directly. Here they are.
I was let go without any real process. Is that legal in New Zealand?
Probably not on its own. New Zealand is not an "at-will" country — under section 103A of the Employment Relations Act 2000 your employer needs both a good reason AND a fair process. They generally have to investigate, put their concerns to you, and give you a genuine chance to respond before dismissing you. A dismissal that skips that process can be an "unjustified dismissal" even if there was an underlying reason. But you must raise a personal grievance within 90 days — so get advice quickly to find out how much time you have left.
How long do I have to raise a personal grievance on the West Coast?
The same as everywhere in New Zealand: 90 days from when the problem happened, or from when you became aware of it — whichever is later. The exception is sexual harassment, which has a 12-month window. If you miss the 90 days, your claim is "out of time" and you can only continue if your employer agrees or the Employment Relations Authority grants leave for exceptional circumstances under section 115. The clock starts the day the employer acted, so don't wait.
What actually counts as a personal grievance?
Under section 103 of the Employment Relations Act 2000, a personal grievance covers being unjustifiably dismissed, being disadvantaged by an unjustified action (like an unfair warning or demotion), discrimination, sexual or racial harassment, bullying that reaches a legal threshold, and duress over union membership. It's broader than just being fired. If something at work has been done to you unfairly, it may well fit — and the same 90-day clock applies.
My final pay or holiday pay looks wrong. Can I do anything?
Yes. The Holidays Act 2003 sets out how annual leave and holiday pay must be calculated, and miscalculation has been a nationwide problem for years — many New Zealand workers are owed money without realising it. Unpaid wages and holiday pay are recoverable, often going back several years. Check your payslips and your final pay carefully. Free help is available through Employment New Zealand and your local Community Law clinic.
Do I have to go to court to sort out an employment problem?
Usually not. Most problems are meant to be resolved early — by raising the issue directly, then through the free mediation service run by MBIE (Employment New Zealand). Only if that doesn't work does it go to the Employment Relations Authority, and a court hearing is further up the ladder still. Skipping mediation can actually cost you. The early steps are free and far less stressful than a courtroom.
Where is my local court if it comes to that, on the West Coast?
The local court for the West Coast region is the Greymouth (Māwhera) District Court at 60 Guinness Street, Greymouth. That said, employment matters are usually handled by the Employment Relations Authority and the Employment Court rather than the District Court — but the Greymouth court is the regional hub, and Community Law and mediation services in the area can point you to the right venue.
Can I afford this? Do I need money or a lawyer?
You can start without either. The MBIE mediation service is free, and you do not need a lawyer to bring a claim to the Employment Relations Authority. Community Law Canterbury offers free advice to West Coast residents, the Citizens Advice Bureau is free, and government legal aid may cover you if you meet the income test. The general-information call costs nothing either.
My employer offered me a settlement to sign. Should I?
Be careful. A "record of settlement" that is signed and certified by a mediator is binding and very difficult to undo later — even if you afterwards discover your claim was worth more. There is rarely a genuine reason it must be signed immediately. Get free advice on what you might be giving up before you sign anything, then decide.
What is the minimum wage in New Zealand right now?
The adult minimum wage is $23.50 an hour from 1 April 2025, rising to $23.95 an hour from 1 April 2026, under the Minimum Wage Act 1983. There are lower starting-out and training rates for some workers, but no sub-minimum rate for ordinary adult work. If you're being paid less than you should be, that's a recoverable wage shortfall — and free help is available.
What can I actually get if my grievance succeeds?
Remedies under the Employment Relations Act 2000 can include reinstatement to your job, reimbursement of lost wages, and compensation for hurt and humiliation under section 123. Be realistic, though — under section 124 the Authority can reduce your remedies if your own conduct contributed to the problem. That's why honest advice early on is worth far more than an optimistic guess.
Does Legal Hotline represent me, and is this legal advice?
No. Legal Hotline is not a law firm, and this is general legal information — not legal advice — and it creates no lawyer-client relationship. What it does is help you understand your situation quickly, flag the deadline that's closest (that 90-day clock above all), and point you toward the right New Zealand help: a qualified employment lawyer, the free MBIE mediation service, or your local Community Law clinic.
Are you a New Zealand-qualified employment lawyer or advocate who helps workers on the West Coast and across the South Island? We connect people facing unjustified dismissal, unpaid wages and holiday pay, disadvantage grievances, harassment and discrimination with practitioners who can help. If you'd like to receive referrals as our New Zealand service grows, get in touch about joining. (This is a path for lawyers; people who need help should use the free services listed 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 on the West Coast — dismissed without a fair process, shorted on wages or holiday pay, pushed out for speaking up — New Zealand employment law may well be on your side, but only if you act before the clock runs out, and a personal grievance usually has just a 90-day window. You don't need money, an email address, or a lawyer to find out where you stand. This page's free call line is live now on 0800 461 100, any hour; the verified West Coast services above can also help. It's general legal information to help you move in time — not legal advice, and it creates no lawyer-client relationship. Legal Hotline is not a law firm.
Free legal information. Not legal advice.