$200,000 dismissal threshold reaches existing agreements

What’s happening

Under the Employment Relations Amendment Act 2026, employees earning NZ$200,000 or more a year can't bring unjustified dismissal grievances unless the employer agrees in writing to keep that protection. People on agreements that existed when the Act started got 12 months before the threshold applies to them.

What to do

Identify staff earning NZ$200,000 or more, decide with legal advice whether to keep dismissal protections in writing, and explain the change to affected leaders.

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