Overtime Calculator

In New Zealand, there is no statutory requirement to pay a higher rate for overtime hours. Unlike countries such as the United States or Australia (which have minimum overtime rates set in awards), New Zealand's Employment Relations Act 2000 does not prescribe a specific overtime premium. Whether overtime is paid, and at what rate, is entirely determined by your employment agreement. Many employment agreements do provide for overtime rates — typically time-and-a-half (1.5*) or double time — but this is by contract, not law. The minimum wage applies to all hours worked, including overtime, so employers cannot pay below the minimum wage regardless of the arrangement. If your employment agreement is silent on overtime, your employer is not legally required to pay extra, but must pay at least the minimum wage for every hour. Source: Employment New Zealand — Hours of Work (employment.govt.nz).

Overtime in New Zealand is calculated according to the terms of your employment agreement, as there is no legally prescribed rate. The most common rates are time-and-a-half (1.5 times your ordinary hourly rate) and double time (2 times your ordinary rate). To calculate time-and-a-half: if your ordinary rate is $28/hour, your overtime rate is $28 * 1.5 = $42/hour. Some agreements specify a flat rate for overtime hours, or a different multiplier. If your agreement is silent, any additional payment is at the employer's discretion — though you must always receive at least the adult minimum wage (currently $23.95/hour as of April 2026). Salaried employees should check whether their agreement specifies that their salary covers all reasonable overtime or whether a separate overtime payment applies. Source: Employment New Zealand — Overtime (employment.govt.nz).

Time-and-a-half means being paid 1.5 times your ordinary hourly rate for overtime or public holiday work. In New Zealand, it is the most commonly agreed overtime premium and is often the default rate in collective agreements and many individual employment agreements. For example, if you earn $25.00/hour ordinarily, time-and-a-half is $37.50/hour. Working on a public holiday is a specific NZ entitlement: the Holidays Act 2003 requires that if you work on a public holiday, you must be paid at least time-and-a-half for the hours worked, plus an alternative holiday (a day in lieu) if that day would otherwise have been a working day for you. This public holiday entitlement is a statutory right and applies regardless of what your employment agreement says. Source: Employment New Zealand — Public Holidays (employment.govt.nz) and Holidays Act 2003.

New Zealand does not have statutory limits on the number of overtime hours an employee can work, unlike some countries with strict maximum working hours laws. The Employment Relations Act 2000 requires that working hours be agreed between employer and employee and recorded in the employment agreement, and that those hours be reasonable. What constitutes 'reasonable hours' is not numerically defined in the Act but is informed by health and safety obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 — employers have a duty to ensure the workplace does not expose workers to unnecessary risk, including fatigue. The 40-hour standard working week is a common contractual norm, but not a legal maximum. Young people under 16 working in certain sectors have additional protections. Employees experiencing unsafe workloads can raise a personal grievance. Source: Employment New Zealand — Working Hours (employment.govt.nz).