Q: I am old school, and it was always that wages were paid before a public holiday. Is this still the case, or can they be paid on the day with seven-day banking?
What is the law or best practice?
I can’t find much on this apart from the information below, which is not from a government site.
The law requires wages to be paid “when they fall due”. Fortnightly is common practice in New Zealand. If payday falls on a public holiday, you should pay employees on the last working day before the public holiday. You’re not required by law to give your employees a pay slip, but many employers choose to do so.
A: What is stated is not from legislation. It is based on an agreed term (nothing in the Holidays Act or Wages Protection Act). It is all about ensuring the agreed payday is met, even if it means processing early so the employee gets the pay earlier than usual. So, this is driven by the pay date in the employee’s employment agreement.
Under the Wages Protection Act, the employer could have an agreed term in the employment agreement that pay will be processed on the next working day after a public holiday (as long as it is agreed between the parties). NZPPA would always suggest paying before as part of payroll best practices.