Employment New Zealand guidance
Notice period calculator for New Zealand
If you came here looking for a table of weeks by length of service, it does not exist here. Your notice period is whatever your employment agreement says, and where the agreement is silent, Employment New Zealand says fair and reasonable notice must be given, with 2 to 4 weeks often seen as fair and reasonable depending on the role. Four weeks at $1,400 a week is $5,600 of notice pay. Work out your own position below.
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What decides a New Zealand notice period, and what it pays
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New Zealand has no statutory notice scale, so the answer depends on what the agreement says and on who asks for the notice to be cut short. Each row is priced on the same worked example: a four week notice period at $1,400 gross a week.
Computed with this page's own formulas on a four week notice period at $1,400 gross a week. No statutory figures are published in the weeks column because New Zealand legislation does not set a minimum notice period by length of service; the 2 to 4 week observation is Employment New Zealand's, for agreements that are silent, and is not a legal minimum.
| Situation | What sets the notice period | Weeks paid | Notice pay before tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agreement states 4 weeks and it is worked in full | The employment agreement | 4 | $5,600 |
| Agreement is silent, 4 weeks given as fair and reasonable | The fair and reasonable test | 4 | $5,600 |
| Agreement is silent, 2 weeks given as fair and reasonable | The fair and reasonable test | 2 | $2,800 |
| Employer does not want the last 2 weeks worked | The agreement, employer's choice not to have it worked | 4 | $5,600 |
| Employee asks to leave 2 weeks early and the employer agrees | The agreement, partly waived by agreement | 2 | $2,800 |
| Instant dismissal for serious misconduct | No notice required after a fair investigation and process | 0 | $0 |
- New Zealand has no statutory minimum notice period: the notice period comes from the employment agreement, and where the agreement is silent the test is fair and reasonable notice (Employment New Zealand).
- Employment New Zealand says that where an agreement has no notice period, 2 to 4 weeks' notice is often seen as fair and reasonable depending on the role, and that it should reflect length of service, type of job, replacement time and common practice.
- Who asks for the early finish decides the pay: if the employer does not want the notice worked the full period is still paid, but if the employee asks to leave early and the employer agrees, only the part actually worked is paid.
Cite this page
“What decides a New Zealand notice period, and what it pays”, Notice Period Calculator NZ, https://noticeperiodcalculator.co.nz/ (updated 2026-08-15). Computed with this page's own formulas on a four week notice period at $1,400 gross a week. No statutory figures are published in the weeks column because New Zealand legislation does not set a minimum notice period by length of service; the 2 to 4 week observation is Employment New Zealand's, for agreements that are silent, and is not a legal minimum.
How this is worked out
- There is no statutory minimum notice period in New Zealand. Employment New Zealand describes the notice period as the time between giving notice and the date the employment relationship actually ends, says it is usually the same for employers and employees, and says it is usually in the employment agreement (Employment NZ: giving notice). No table of weeks by length of service is set by legislation, and this site does not publish one.
- Where the agreement contains no notice period, Employment New Zealand states that fair and reasonable notice must be given, and that this should reflect the length of service, the type of job, how long it might take to replace the employee, and common practice in the workplace. It adds that depending on the role, 2 to 4 weeks' notice is often seen as fair and reasonable. That is a general observation from the regulator, not a legal minimum, and a specialist or senior role can reasonably need more.
- If the employer agrees to waive all or some of an employee's notice period, for example because the employee wants to start a new job right away, Employment New Zealand says the employee will not be paid for the portion of the notice period they do not work. The calculator only removes pay for unworked weeks in that case.
- Where the employer does not want the employee at work, the employee can be put on paid leave in lieu of notice, an agreed period during which the employee remains employed and receives full pay but does not go to work. The calculator treats that as fully paid.
- Employment New Zealand states that an employer can dismiss an employee without notice where there has been a fair investigation, there has been a disciplinary process, and the behaviour is considered to be serious misconduct. In that case the employee is not paid for any part of the notice period, though statutory payments owed in the final pay, such as annual holidays, still apply.
- If an employee does not give the notice their agreement requires, Employment New Zealand says the employer still has to pay the employee for all the hours worked. Deducting a penalty from final pay for short notice is not something this calculator models, and any deduction must be lawful and agreed.
- This calculator prices the notice period only. The rest of a New Zealand final pay, including unused annual holidays and the 8% component, is calculated separately and on a different basis.
- A notice clause does not make a dismissal lawful. Employment New Zealand is explicit that an employment agreement containing a notice period does not mean the employer can dismiss for any reason: a fair and proper process is still required, including for fixed term agreements.
Notice Period Calculator NZ is an independent information site operated by Ellul Solutions Ltd. It is not affiliated with Employment New Zealand, MBIE or any government body, and nothing here is legal advice on your situation, check your employment agreement and confirm your position with Employment New Zealand, your union or an employment lawyer before acting.
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The questions we get
What is the statutory notice period in New Zealand?
There is not one. New Zealand legislation does not set a minimum notice period by length of service. Employment New Zealand says the notice period is usually in the employment agreement, and that where the agreement is silent, fair and reasonable notice must be given.
My employment agreement does not mention notice. What now?
Fair and reasonable notice applies. Employment New Zealand says it should reflect your length of service, the type of job, how long it might take to replace you, and common practice in the workplace, and that depending on the role, 2 to 4 weeks is often seen as fair and reasonable.
Can an employment agreement require more than 4 weeks' notice?
Yes. Because there is no statutory scale, the agreed period is the period, and senior or specialist roles commonly carry longer notice. The 2 to 4 week range Employment New Zealand mentions applies to agreements that say nothing, not as a cap on agreements that do.
Do I get paid for notice I do not work in New Zealand?
It depends who asked. If the employer does not want you at work, you can be kept on paid leave in lieu of notice and the period is paid. If you asked to leave early and the employer waived part of the notice, you are not paid for the portion you do not work.
Does a notice clause let my employer dismiss me for any reason?
No. Employment New Zealand states that just because an employment agreement contains a notice period does not mean the employer can dismiss an employee for any reason, and that the employer must still follow a fair and proper process, including for fixed term agreements.
The detail
Each one cites where its numbers come from.
Sources
Work out what your agreement actually requires.
The clause, the fair and reasonable test, and what the notice period is worth in pay.
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