Employment Relations FAQs
ask a question.
       
 
find out about:
holidays on-line tool
annual holidays
general entitlements
moving to four weeks leave
records employers must keep
calculating weekly pay/earning
employees who take holidays in advance
pay-as-you-go
entitlements on an employees resignation or end of employment
regular annual closedowns
effects of unpaid leave
employees with changing work pattern
interface with other leave
public holidays
NZ public holiday dates
sick & bereavement leave
transition from 1981 Act to 2003 Act
Implementation evaluation of Holidays Act 2003
Holiday Act 2003 – payroll specification
before 1 Apr 2004:
holidays act 1981

Effects of unpaid leave

 
 
Get a printer-friendly fact sheet of this page.

When an employee takes unpaid leave of more than one week during the year, this can be managed in three ways:

  • the employer can choose to extend the time required before the employee becomes entitled to annual holidays by the period of unpaid leave in excess of one week. That is, if an employee takes two weeks' unpaid leave, she or he becomes entitled to annual holidays one week after the anniversary of the starting date of employment;
  • the employer and employee can agree that an employee's average weekly earnings calculation will be modified to reflect the number of whole or part weeks greater than one week that the employee was on unpaid leave. For example, if an employee takes two weeks' unpaid leave during the year, it can be agreed that the annual-holiday pay is calculated on the basis of a 51-week year, not on the basis of 52 weeks;
  • the employer and employee can agree that the unpaid leave will have no effect on the employee's annual holiday entitlement.

The first week of unpaid leave does not affect either the date on which the employee becomes entitled to annual holidays or the divisor of 52.

Time while an employee is on ACC, parental leave or leave for voluntary military service does not affect the anniversary date for annual holiday purposes.

back to top

This page was last updated on: 16-Apr-2009 and is current.


general entitlements | moving to four weeks | records employers must keep | calculating weekly pay | taking holidays in advance of entitlement | pay-as-you-go provisions | entitlements on an employees resignation or end of employment | annual closedowns | unpaid leave | changing work pattern | interface with other leave

annual holidays | how to calculate holiday pay | special leave | public (statutory) holidays | NZ public holiday dates | FAQs

home | holidays | pay | good faith | union matters | education & training | fact sheets | publications | parental leave | employment agreements | problem solving | collective bargaining

search our FAQs | sitemap | contact us | about this site | about ers | related sites | govt.nz

©2004 copyright | disclaimer | privacy statement | comment on this website | accessibility

Department of Labour.