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Glossary

Jargon, acronyms and te reo terms, explained.

1737
A free national helpline to call or text, any time, to talk to a trained counsellor.
ACC
The Accident Compensation Corporation, the government insurer for accidental injuries.
ACC levy
The charge that funds accident cover, collected through wages or invoiced to the self-employed.
Access and Choice
A government programme offering free support for mild to moderate mental health and addiction concerns through participating GP practices and other services (you must be enrolled at the practice).
Accommodation Supplement
A weekly payment towards rent, board or the cost of owning a home. The amount depends on your income, assets, accommodation costs, family situation and where you live.
Accredited Employer Work Visa
A work visa tied to an employer accredited by Immigration New Zealand, commonly known as AEWV. Trial periods are not allowed for AEWV workers.
Advance payment
A one-off payment for an essential or emergency cost for people already on a main benefit or pension. You have to pay it back; ask Work and Income how repayment works.
Alternative holiday
A paid day off you get if you work on a public holiday that would otherwise be a working day for you.
Annual leave
Paid holiday leave: four weeks after 12 months of continuous employment. Read more →
Apprenticeship
Paid work combined with structured training to gain a trade or industry qualification.
Average weekly earnings
Your gross earnings over the last 52 weeks divided by 52. Annual holiday pay is the higher of this or your ordinary weekly pay.
Bankruptcy
A legal process where your assets are managed for creditors and most debts are cleared, with long-term consequences.
Benefit Review Committee
A panel (two Work and Income staff not involved in the first review plus a community representative) that reviews a decision if you are unhappy with the result of the internal review.
Best Start
A Working for Families payment for families with a young child. It reduces once family income is above $79,000, and the rules depend on the child's birth date. Check current amounts at ird.govt.nz.
Bond
A deposit paid to a landlord and lodged with Tenancy Services, refundable at the end of a tenancy.
CAB
Citizens Advice Bureau: a free community service giving advice on many issues. Phone 0800 367 222.
Careers NZ
The former careers.govt.nz website, replaced by the Tahatū Career Navigator (tahatu.govt.nz) in December 2025.
Case manager
The Work and Income staff member who manages your benefit and employment plan.
Casual employee
Someone who works as and when needed, with no guaranteed hours. Rights still apply, including holiday pay. There is no guarantee or expectation of ongoing work.
Change proposal
A written plan to change the organisation that your employer must consult staff about before deciding. Read more →
Child support
Payments from a liable parent to the other carer to help with the costs of raising children, administered by IRD.
Childcare Assistance
A subsidy for approved childcare costs for families who qualify.
Collective agreement
An agreement negotiated between a union and employer that sets terms for a group of workers.
Community Law
Community law centres across New Zealand giving free initial legal advice, mainly to people on low incomes.
Community Services Card
A card for people on a lower income that reduces the cost of GP visits, prescriptions and public transport, among other things.
Constructive dismissal
When you resign because your employer's serious breach or conduct effectively forced you out. Read more →
Consultation
The employer's duty to share information, listen to your feedback and genuinely consider it before making a decision that affects your job. Read more →
Contractor
A person who runs their own business and supplies services, rather than being an employee. Employment rights generally don't apply. Since 21 February 2026 a worker who meets every part of the "gateway test" is treated as a contractor.
Contributions holiday
A pause in your KiwiSaver contributions (Inland Revenue now calls it a savings suspension). After 12 months of membership you can take one for 3 months to 1 year; earlier only if you are in hardship.
Cover letter
A short letter explaining why you're a fit for a particular job.
Credit report
A record of your borrowing and repayment history held by credit reporting agencies.
Credit score
A rating of how reliably you repay debt, used by lenders.
CV
Curriculum vitae: a summary of your work history, skills and qualifications.
Default
Failing to make payments on a debt as agreed, which can harm your credit record.
Direct Career Service
A free MSD service offering one-on-one advice from qualified career practitioners, especially useful if you are unemployed or at risk of losing your job.
Disability Allowance
A weekly payment towards the ongoing costs of a disability or health condition that is likely to last at least six months. It is not taxed and doesn't have to be repaid.
Disestablished (role)
Employer-speak for a role being removed from the organisation's structure, which is the basis for a redundancy. Read more →
EAP
Employee Assistance Programme: a confidential counselling service offered by some employers.
Emergency housing
Short-term accommodation for people with no other safe place to stay.
Employer contribution
The amount your employer adds to your KiwiSaver on top of your pay.
Employment agreement
The written contract between employer and employee setting out pay, hours, duties and conditions. Employers must give every employee a written one (or cover them by a collective agreement).
Employment New Zealand
The MBIE service giving information and mediation on employment rights. Phone 0800 20 90 20.
Employment Relations Authority
An independent body that investigates and resolves employment relationship problems by looking at the facts and merits of the case (the ERA). You can go to it without mediation first, though it may suggest mediation.
Family Tax Credit
The main Working for Families payment for families with dependent children.
Fees Free
A payment covering fees for the final year of tertiary study or final two years of work-based learning. The scheme ends on 31 December 2026; check eligibility at feesfree.govt.nz.
Final pay
What you are owed when employment ends, including wages, unused annual leave and other entitlements. Read more →
Financial hardship
A situation where you can't meet basic costs like rent, food or power.
Fixed-term agreement
An employment agreement that ends on a set date or event, and must have a genuine reason, based on reasonable grounds, which is written into the agreement.
Fixed-term tenancy
A rental that runs for a set period, such as 12 months.
Flexi-wage
A Work and Income wage subsidy for employers who hire someone who needs extra support to do the job.
Garden leave
Staying employed and being paid during your notice period but not attending work (also called leave in lieu of notice). It also needs written agreement, and it doesn't use up your annual holidays.
Government contribution (KiwiSaver)
Money the Government adds to your KiwiSaver: 25 cents per dollar you put in, up to $260.72 a year, for members aged 16 to 65 earning $180,000 or less a year (you must put in $1,042.86 a year to get the full amount).
GST
Goods and Services Tax, a 15% tax on most goods and services. You must register if your turnover was over $60,000 in the last 12 months or is expected to go over $60,000 in the next 12 months.
Hapū
A kinship group or subtribe, part of an iwi.
Hardship grant
One-off help from Work and Income with an urgent essential cost you can't pay another way, such as a Special Needs Grant. Check at workandincome.govt.nz whether it must be repaid. Read more →
Hardship variation
A change to a consumer loan or credit contract you can ask your lender for if you can't keep up with payments because of hardship you couldn't reasonably have foreseen, such as illness or job loss. The FMA has regulated this since 1 July 2026.
Hauora
Health and wellbeing, including physical, mental, spiritual and family health.
Healthline
A free 24/7 health advice phone line on 0800 611 116.
Hidden job market
Jobs filled through contacts and direct approaches before or without being advertised. Read more →
High-income employee
An employee earning $200,000 or more a year (rules in force since 21 February 2026, with a transition period to 21 February 2027). They generally can't raise a personal grievance for unjustified dismissal, unless they and their employer opted back in by written agreement.
Holiday pay
Pay for annual holidays or public holidays. On final pay, an annual holiday payment of 8% of gross earnings is included, less any already paid in advance or pay-as-you-go. Read more →
Immigration New Zealand
The government agency that manages visas and immigration.
IR3
An individual income tax return, needed when you have income not fully taxed, such as self-employment.
IR330
The form you give your payer to confirm your tax code.
IRD
Inland Revenue Department, the tax authority. Phone 0800 227 773.
IRD number
Your unique tax number, used by employers, banks and agencies.
Iwi
A tribe or large kinship group of Māori people.
Jobseeker Support
The main payment for people looking for work (including part-time workers wanting more hours) or who need to cut hours or stop work for a while because of a health condition, injury or disability. Read more →
Jobseeker Support – Health Condition or Disability
A version of Jobseeker Support for people who can work only part-time or not at all because of illness, injury or disability.
Kaimahi
Worker or employee.
Kāinga Ora
The government housing agency that provides social housing and works on urban development.
Kaupapa Māori
Approaches grounded in Māori values, knowledge and ways of working.
KiwiSaver
A voluntary retirement savings scheme where you, your employer and the Government contribute.
KiwiSaver hardship withdrawal
Early access to your and your employer's KiwiSaver contributions if you face significant financial hardship, such as being unable to meet minimum living expenses. Most members apply to their scheme provider with evidence.
Labour Inspectorate
Warranted MBIE staff who make sure employment standards are met and can take enforcement action.
Licensed immigration adviser
A person licensed to give immigration advice and listed on the official register.
Lifeline
A free counselling and support helpline on 0800 543 354.
Liquidation
The legal process of closing a company, selling its assets and paying creditors. Employees become creditors owed wages. Read more →
Liquidator
The person appointed to run a company's liquidation and pay its creditors.
Mahi
Work, job or task.
Mana in Mahi
A Work and Income programme that supports people on a benefit into an apprenticeship or industry training, with a wage subsidy for the employer.
Manaakitanga
Showing care, hospitality and respect to others.
Matariki
The Māori new year, marked by a public holiday that falls on a Friday and changes each year.
MBIE
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, which runs Employment New Zealand, Immigration New Zealand and Tenancy Services.
Mediation
A confidential process, usually voluntary, where an independent mediator helps both sides resolve an employment problem. MBIE's Employment Mediation Services is free.
Micro-credential
A short, focused qualification on a specific skill.
Minimum wage
The lowest hourly rate an employer can legally pay. It is reviewed every year; the current rates took effect on 1 April 2026.
MoneyTalks
A free, confidential helpline offering money and budgeting advice. Phone 0800 345 123.
Mortgagee sale
A sale of property by the lender after the borrower defaults.
MSD
The Ministry of Social Development, the government agency that runs Work and Income.
myIR
Inland Revenue's online account service.
MyMSD
The online account used to apply for and manage Work and Income payments.
Networking
Building and using professional relationships to learn about jobs and opportunities.
No-asset procedure
A way to be released from certain debts if you have no way to pay them and nothing you can sell. Some debts (such as court fines and student loans) are excluded; check eligibility at insolvency.govt.nz.
Non-entitlement period
A longer wait, up to 13 weeks, that may apply if you left a job without a good reason or were fired for misconduct. It is not a stand-down. Read more →
Notice period
The time between notice being given (by you or your employer) and your last day of employment. It normally comes from the employment agreement; if there isn't one, reasonable notice applies.
Notice to remedy
A formal notice giving the other party time to fix a breach of the tenancy (such as unpaid rent). It is generally 14 days; check the rules at tenancy.govt.nz.
NZ Super
New Zealand Superannuation, the payment for people aged 65 or over who meet the residence requirements (which depend on your date of birth).
NZQA
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority, which oversees qualifications and assesses overseas ones.
Outplacement
Career support services, such as coaching or workshops, provided by an employer to people leaving.
Overpayment
Money paid to you by Work and Income that you weren't entitled to, which you may need to repay.
Pay in lieu of notice
Being paid instead of working your notice period, so employment ends when notice is given. It needs agreement, either in your employment agreement or when notice is given, and should be in writing.
PAYE
Pay As You Earn: the system where employers deduct income tax from wages and send it to Inland Revenue.
Periodic tenancy
A rental with no end date, continuing until one side gives notice. A tenant gives 21 days; a landlord generally gives 90 days (42 in specific cases).
Personal grievance
A formal complaint to your employer that you were treated unfairly at work, such as an unjustified dismissal. You generally must raise it with your employer within 90 days (12 months for sexual harassment). Read more →
Preferential claim
A debt that gets paid ahead of ordinary unsecured creditors in a liquidation. Some employee entitlements (such as recent wages, holiday pay and redundancy compensation) qualify up to a cap; check the current cap at employment.govt.nz. Read more →
Probationary period
A period at the start of a job to assess fit. Unlike a trial period, it has no fixed maximum length (it must be reasonable) and doesn't remove your right to a fair process or to raise a personal grievance.
Provisional tax
Tax paid in instalments during the year on income that has no tax deducted, such as self-employment.
Rangatahi
Young people.
Record of settlement
A settlement signed by the parties and an MBIE mediator, which makes it final and enforceable. You generally can't take the matter to the Employment Relations Authority or Employment Court afterwards.
Recoverable assistance
A one-off payment for an essential or emergency cost, for people not on a benefit, that you have to pay back (the Recoverable Assistance Payment).
Recruitment agency
A firm that finds candidates for employers; job seekers are not normally charged.
Redeployment
Moving an employee to a different suitable role in the same organisation instead of making them redundant. Read more →
Redeployment Support
An MSD team that helps people worried about losing their job, or who have lost it, and works with employers to try to avoid redundancies. You don't need to be on a benefit.
Redundancy
When your employer decides your job is no longer needed for genuine business reasons. It is not about your conduct or performance. Read more →
Redundancy compensation
A payment made when your job is made redundant. It is only owed if your employment agreement (or a collective agreement) says so. Read more →
Reference
A statement from a former employer or colleague about your work, used by employers when hiring.
Residence visa
A visa giving the right to live and work in New Zealand indefinitely.
Residency requirement
The time you must have lived in New Zealand to qualify for certain payments. For Jobseeker Support it is 2 years continuous residence since becoming a citizen or resident.
Restraint of trade
A clause limiting where you can work or who you can approach after leaving. It must be reasonable to be enforceable.
Restructure
A change to how an organisation is set up, often involving merged, changed or removed roles. Read more →
Review of decision
A formal request asking Work and Income to look again at a decision about your payment. Generally it must be requested within three months; a later request can be considered if you have a good reason.
Sanction
A reduction or stop to a benefit because obligations weren't met. Read more →
Serious misconduct
Behaviour so serious it destroys the trust between employer and employee and may justify dismissal without notice, after a fair investigation. Read more →
Settlement agreement
A written agreement ending a dispute, usually with payment, and often waiving the right to take a grievance. To be final and binding under employment law it needs to be signed by an MBIE mediator.
Sham redundancy
A redundancy that isn't genuine, for example used to get rid of someone while the same role continues.
Sick leave
Paid leave when you or a dependant are sick or injured. Eligible employees get 10 paid days a year, starting after six months of employment.
Skills for Industry
Work and Income entry-level industry training programmes, built with employers and training providers, to help people get and keep a job.
Social housing
Rental housing for people in need, provided by Kāinga Ora and community housing providers.
Social Security Appeal Authority
A tribunal that hears appeals after the Benefit Review Committee. You must appeal within 60 working days of receiving the Committee's letter.
Sole Parent Support
A benefit for sole parents or caregivers aged 20 or over with a dependent child under 14, with work obligations based on the age of their youngest child.
Sole trader
A person who runs a business in their own name without forming a company.
Special Needs Grant
A one-off payment for an essential or emergency cost, such as food or dental treatment, if you can't pay it another way. Check at workandincome.govt.nz whether a particular payment must be repaid. Read more →
Stand-down
A one- or two-week wait before your first benefit payment. The length depends on your average weekly income over the last 26 or 52 weeks and how many children you have. Some situations (such as moving between benefits) have no stand-down. Read more →
Student Allowance
A means-tested weekly payment for eligible full-time students that is not repaid.
Student loan
Money borrowed from the Government for study, repaid through income once above a threshold.
Supported Living Payment
A benefit for people with a significant health condition, injury or disability that prevents them working 15 or more hours a week for at least two years, or who care full-time for someone who would otherwise need hospital or residential-level care.
Tax code
A letter code (like M or SB) that tells your payer how much tax to deduct from your income.
Tax year
1 April to 31 March.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi
The Treaty of Waitangi, the founding agreement between the Crown and Māori.
TEC
The Tertiary Education Commission, which funds tertiary education and training.
Temporary Additional Support
A weekly payment for people who don't have enough money to cover essential living costs. It is paid for up to 13 weeks, then you must re-apply.
Tenancy Services
The MBIE service that provides information and runs the Tenancy Tribunal.
Tenancy Tribunal
A tribunal that resolves disputes between tenants and landlords.
Traffic light system
Work and Income's system for tracking whether you meet your obligations, with green, orange and red stages. Orange means contact them straight away; red means your payment may be reduced or stopped. Read more →
Transferable skills
Skills that apply across roles and industries, like communication, leadership and problem solving.
Transition to Work grant
A grant towards reasonable costs of finding or starting a job, like tools, clothes or transport. It doesn't have to be paid back.
Trial period (90-day)
A clause in an employment agreement, signed before you start work, letting an employer end a new employee's job within the first 90 days without the employee being able to raise an unjustified dismissal grievance (with exceptions, such as the employer not giving the required notice). It can only be used for someone the employer hasn't employed before, and can't be used for AEWV workers.
Union
An organisation of workers that bargains with employers, advocates for members and gives employment support.
Unjustified disadvantage
When an employer's action affects your employment or conditions and wasn't fair, reasonable or in good faith, such as an unjustified warning or demotion.
Unjustified dismissal
Losing your job in a way a fair and reasonable employer would not have done, including through a poor process or a sham redundancy. Read more →
Variation of conditions
A request to change your visa conditions. For an Accredited Employer Work Visa holder changing employer this is a Job Change application, which needs an accredited employer and a valid job check.
Whānau
Family, including extended family and those close to you.
Whānau Ora
A government approach supporting whānau as a whole, delivered by Māori and Pacific providers.
WINZ
Common nickname for Work and Income, from the name of its earlier form, Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ).
Work and Income
The MSD service that pays benefits and supports people into work. Phone 0800 559 009.
Work test / work obligations
The things you must do to receive Jobseeker Support, such as seeking and accepting suitable work and attending appointments. Read more →
Work visa
A visa that allows you to work in New Zealand, sometimes with conditions tying you to an employer.
Working for Families
A group of tax credits for families with dependent children, paid through Inland Revenue.
Zero-hours contract
An agreement with no guaranteed hours. Employment New Zealand says zero-hour contracts are not allowed: an employer generally can't require you to be available for any work offered without guaranteed hours and reasonable compensation.