Problems at work
New Zealand is a great place to work because it's fair and safe. All employees have the same rights. In rare cases, employers don’t follow the rules. Find out how to get help with bullying and harassment in the workplace.
Bullying, harassment and discrimination
In New Zealand we believe in fairness and equality. We're known for being welcoming to people from other countries and cultures. You should never feel bad about being different when you work here.
Discrimination isn't right or legal
Employers can’t legally treat you differently than anyone else just because you're an international student. They’re not allowed to use the following things against you:
age
nationality
ethnicity
gender
sexual orientation
disability
religious beliefs
marital status
employment status
political opinions
A workplace should be free from harassment
Being harassed means a lot of things. It could mean that you're not given the same opportunities, spoken to unkindly, or are made to do things you don't want to do. This shouldn't happen in New Zealand.
If you feel you’re being harassed because of one of these personal things listed above, you need to speak to your employer. You can bring a friend for support. If the problem doesn’t get resolved, you can make a complaint. This is called a personal grievance(external link that opens in a new tab).
To find out more, check out Employment New Zealand's information about bullying, harassment and discrimination(external link that opens in a new tab). It will help you learn how to avoid and deal with workplace problems.
Bullying isn't acceptable
We take bullying seriously in New Zealand – it is not acceptable and you don't have to put up with it.
Bullying behaviour includes ongoing offensive, abusive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour. Bullying is not limited to bosses or managers – it can happen between co-workers, customers, clients, and visitors. If you’re being bullied, you might feel upset, threatened, humiliated, vulnerable or unsafe.
Bullying can include:
- threats and intimidation.
- shouting, yelling or abusive language or gestures.
- unjustified criticism and insults.
- constant humiliation, ridicule and words that make you feel small.
- ignoring someone repeatedly.
- teasing and practical jokes.
If you're bullied or harassed you can start to feel sad or depressed. You don't have to suffer in silence. Talk to someone.
- some workplaces have a human resource department. Their job is to make sure you're happy and safe at work.
- try talking about it to your friends at work.
- Make sure you also tell your friends or host family so they can help and support you.
Tip: You don't have to put up with bullying or harassment. There are more formal ways that you can use to get help if talking to others or your employer hasn't changed things. A good next step is to use a free mediation service from Employment New Zealand (external link that opens in a new tab)to try and resolve problems.
Mediation
Mediation is where an independent person called a mediator helps resolve an employment relationship problem in a semi-formal and confidential environment (this means that what you say is kept private and not shared outside of the mediation).
A mediator will help you and the person who you feel has bullied or harassed you to identify the main issues and find potential solutions.
Bad employers are breaking the law
New Zealand workplaces should be fair and safe for everyone. New Zealand employers are known for being easy-going and kind. Generally, you'll find your workplace to be fairly relaxed and a nice place to be with good people.
But, it's important to let you know that there have been some rare cases where workers have been exploited by bad employers. Exploitation may be occurring if:
- your employer bullies or threatens you.
- your passport is taken from you.
- you’re locked in your workplace because the doors and windows are locked.
- you have to ask to eat, sleep, or go to the toilet.
- you have no time off.
- you’re not being paid the minimum wage or you're not being paid at all.
- your employer asks you to give them money (including things like cash payments, payments for your wages, or payments for your tax).
None of this should be happening. If your boss is exploiting you, they're breaking the law. New Zealand takes this very seriously.
Tip: Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you think you’re being exploited. You won’t get in trouble or be sent home if you complain.
Immigration New Zealand can help you. Just call them and explain what's happening(external link that opens in a new tab). If you're worried that you can't explain what's going on in English, they have translators who might speak your language.
Some others who may be able to help are Crimestoppers(external link that opens in a new tab) (an independent charity that helps New Zealanders fight crime by providing an anonymous and simple way to pass on information to the authorities) and the Labour Inspectorate(external link that opens in a new tab) (a part of Employment New Zealand that enforces and monitors minimum employment standards).
Other potential problems at work
Other things you might want to learn about include making sure you're in a healthy and safe workplace and how to deal with communication problems or cultural differences.
Health and safety
In New Zealand employers are required to provide you with a safe workplace. They have to follow health and safety laws.
In some jobs, you might have to use machinery or equipment that you're not used to using, like high ladders to pick apples, or kitchen appliances like blenders and juicers if you work in a restaurant or café.
Remember, you have the right to feel safe at work. You should be given the right information, training, equipment, and knowledge when you're trained for the job.
If you’re worried about doing your job safely, you can talk to your work friends, manager or employer. There might be some information that they forgot to tell you in your training, like how to clean the blender if you work in a café or how to carry three plates at a time if you're a waitress.
Speak up so they can help you!
Tip: You can say no to certain jobs if you think they’re dangerous. Just talk to your employer and tell them why. They will give you the proper training to make sure you do your work safely.
Communication and cultural differences
Working in New Zealand might be very different from the way people work where you come from.
At work New Zealanders:
- expect everyone to be treated the same, no matter where they're from or what job they do.
- speak to employers and managers in a relaxed and easy-going way.
- take on many different tasks without being asked to.
New Zealanders also speak fast! The Kiwi accent can make it difficult to understand what people are saying. It could take you a while to get used to the way New Zealanders speak and the words they use.
Check out our helpful guide to the Kiwi accent and learn some common words and phrases that might help you at work.
Tip: The Kiwi accent can take a while to get used to! Try to make a friend at work so you can ask them for help and advice. Kiwis are quite nice and helpful and often become good friends with the people they work with.
How to resolve problems at work
Your employer might not know that you're having problems at work. You should talk to them if you're feeling bullied or harassed, or if you need extra training. It is okay to ask and they will want to help you.
You might feel nervous about talking to your employer about workplace problems. This is completely normal. To make it easier, you can write a list of the things you want to talk about before you have a meeting. Practice what you want to say with your friends and host family. Keep in mind, you can bring a friend or a member of your host family to the meeting too.
If this doesn’t fix the problem you can get get advice by contacting Employment New Zealand(external link that opens in a new tab) who can support you. If you're worried about explaining your situation in English, they have translators who speak 43 different languages.
Related pages
Employee rights
Working while you study is a great way to make money, meet people and learn about New Zealand work culture. However, it might be a little different to working back home. Learn about your basic rights as an employee.
Getting paid and tax
Getting paid the right amount of money and paying tax is important when you work in New Zealand. Learn about the different ways you might get paid, minimum wage and salary rules, and paying tax and tax rates when working on a student visa.
Working on a student visa
Working while you study in New Zealand is a great way to get job experience, make new friends, and help with living costs. Just make sure you follow the work conditions on your student visa and find the right balance between work, study and socialising.