Easter greetings to all of our Clients
Our office closes for the Easter break at 5pm on Thursday 1st April and we reopen at 8.30 on Tuesday 6th April.
Easter trading rules for the public holidays
Employment New Zealand has set out clear guidance as to the Easter public holiday trading rules.
Easter Sunday
Did you know Easter Sunday is not a public holiday? If you’re trading, your employees get their usual Sunday rate and you don’t need to give them a paid day off later.
If you’re a shop owner, you may be able to open on Easter Sunday. But you can’t make your employees work that day — and they don’t have to give you a reason.
If you plan to open on Easter Sunday, you must give your staff written notice of their right to refuse to work at least four weeks in advance, but not earlier than eight weeks before.
Employment New Zealand has more information if you need help working out whether or not you can open on Easter Sunday.
Public Holidays – what you need to know
You can only require an employee to work on a public holiday if it’s written into their employment agreement and it’s a day they would usually work. Otherwise, you can ask an employee to work on a public holiday, but they don’t have to agree.
If an employee works on a public holiday
- they must get paid at least time and a half
- if the public holiday falls on what is a normal working day for them, they must also get a paid day off at a later date.
Employment New Zealand has more information if you need help working out what a normal working day is for your employees.
Transferring public holidays
Any employee can ask to transfer a public holiday to another day.
You must:
- consider the request seriously unless you have a policy that prevents transferring public holidays
- put any agreement to transfer a public holiday in writing
- you can decline requests to transfer public holidays — it’s good to give a reason, although you’re not legally required to.
If you have any questions regarding Easter trading, please give us a call.
