Your employer ignored your wage demand. Escalate it.
Two routes: a free Labour Inspectorate complaint, or free mediation then the Employment Relations Authority — which can order your wage arrears paid.
You demanded the wages you're owed and the employer ignored it, denied it, or paid only part. New Zealand gives you two real escalation routes. The Labour Inspectorate (Employment NZ) enforces minimum employment standards — minimum wage (Minimum Wage Act 1983), wages protection (Wages Protection Act 1983), and holiday pay (Holidays Act 2003) — and it is free.
The other route is free mediation through Employment NZ, and if that doesn't resolve it, a statement of problem to the Employment Relations Authority (a $71.55 lodging fee). The Authority can make a binding determination ordering the employer to pay the arrears, with an appeal to the Employment Court. Mediation is the expected first step before the Authority.
Keep this about unpaid wages. If your real issue is an unjustified dismissal or disadvantage, that is a personal grievance with a strict 90-day deadline and a separate process — don't let it lapse while you pursue wage arrears.
Legal mechanisms now in play
- Labour Inspectorate enforcement — free; covers minimum wage, wages protection, holiday pay
- Minimum Wage Act 1983, Wages Protection Act 1983, Holidays Act 2003
- Free Employment NZ mediation, then the Employment Relations Authority ($71.55) which can order arrears paid
- Appeal from the Authority to the Employment Court
- Separate 90-day personal-grievance track preserved for dismissal/disadvantage claims
Wage-Arrears Escalation (Labour Inspectorate / ERA)
Builds a structured escalation narrative: the parties, what you're owed and the period, your stage-1 demand and the response, the facts, and the route you've chosen — a free Labour Inspectorate complaint or mediation-then-ERA — with the recovery sought.
$19.00 ($9.00 if you bought our earlier letter — apply via the receipt URL or QR code in your first letter's PDF)
Start the Wage-Arrears Escalation (Labour Inspectorate / ERA) →Frequently asked
Is the Labour Inspectorate really free?
Yes. You can complain to the Labour Inspectorate (Employment NZ) at no cost about breaches of minimum employment standards — minimum wage, wages protection, and holiday pay. It can investigate and require the employer to pay arrears.
What does it cost to go to the Employment Relations Authority?
$71.55 to lodge a statement of problem (GST inclusive, non-refundable). Before that, free mediation through Employment NZ is the expected first step — many wage disputes settle there without a fee.
Is this the same as a personal grievance?
No. This is about unpaid wages (arrears). A personal grievance — for example an unjustified dismissal or disadvantage — is a separate claim with a strict 90-day deadline. If that's your situation, raise the grievance immediately rather than waiting on a wage claim.
Which route should I pick?
That's your call. The Labour Inspectorate is free and good for clear breaches of minimum standards. The mediation-then-Authority route can deal with broader wage-recovery disputes and ends in a binding determination. The narrative supports either.
How much does the next-step narrative cost?
$19 standalone, or $9 if you bought our original NZ unpaid-wages demand — your receipt URL or QR code applies the discount automatically.