Everyday NZ guide · New Zealand
Annual Leave in New Zealand: Entitlements and Rules
Learn when annual leave becomes available in New Zealand, how four weeks applies to different work patterns, and what your payroll balance really means.
Key points
The short answer on annual leave
After each 12 months of continuous employment, an employee is entitled to at least 4 weeks of paid annual holidays.
Four weeks does not always mean 20 days: it reflects the employee’s working week when the holidays are taken.
A payroll balance labelled “accrued leave” can be a useful estimate, but it is not the legal entitlement by itself.
The Holidays Act rules in this guide apply now; the Employment Leave Act will replace them on 6 August 2028.
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You receive four working weeks, not a universal 20 days
New Zealand law currently gives employees at least 4 weeks of paid annual holidays after each 12 months of continuous employment with the same employer. Full-time, part-time and rostered employees all receive four of their own working weeks.
For someone working 5 days every week, four weeks commonly equals 20 working days. For someone working 3 days every week, it commonly equals 12 days. Describing everyone’s entitlement as “20 days” can therefore overstate or understate what four weeks means.
Your entitlement arrives on the 12-month anniversary
Under the current Holidays Act, annual holidays are not legally accrued a little at a time. The entitlement arises after 12 months of continuous employment and again after each following 12 months. An employer may let an employee take holidays in advance, but both sides must agree.
Payslips often show an estimated or accrued balance before the anniversary. That number is useful for planning, but changing hours or work patterns can make it misleading. Ask payroll how the displayed figure is converted into four current working weeks.
Related: annual leave pay calculation Related: can employer decline annual leave Related: public holidays during annual leave
Changing hours can change what one week looks like
Regular work is straightforward: if Maia works three 8-hour days each week when she takes leave, one week is three days or 24 hours. Four weeks is therefore 12 of those working days.
A rotating or unpredictable roster needs a fair definition of a working week. The employer and employee should look at the employment agreement and actual pattern, agree whether days or hours gives a fair result, and review the method when the pattern changes.
Taking leave still needs an agreed date
Having an entitlement does not mean an employee can simply announce a holiday and stay home. The dates need approval. The employer must reasonably consider the request and should allow it unless there is a good reason to decline those particular dates.
A public holiday that falls inside annual leave on an otherwise working day is treated as a public holiday, not deducted from annual holidays. Checking the work pattern, observed public-holiday date and region prevents the balance from being reduced incorrectly.
Check the balance before making expensive plans
Start with the employment anniversary, current weekly pattern, leave already taken and any leave taken in advance. Compare that record with the payslip, then ask payroll to explain any difference in writing before booking non-refundable travel.
These are the rules applying when reviewed in September 2026. The Employment Leave Act takes effect on 6 August 2028, so leave earned, taken or paid under the new system will need fresh guidance.
Frequently asked questions
How much annual leave do employees get in New Zealand?
Under the current rules, employees receive at least 4 weeks of paid annual holidays after each 12 months of continuous employment. An employment agreement can provide more.
Is four weeks of annual leave always 20 days?
No. Twenty days is common for someone working 5 days each week. A person working 3 days each week would commonly have 12 working days across four weeks.
Do part-time employees get four weeks of annual leave?
Yes. The four weeks reflect the part-time employee’s own working week, rather than automatically becoming the same number of days as a five-day worker.
Does unused annual leave expire?
No. An existing entitlement remains available until it is taken, lawfully cashed up, or paid when employment ends.
Can I take annual leave before working for 12 months?
Only if the employer agrees to annual holidays in advance. The employer can decline that request.
Your next step
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