Subject: B3.4  Holidays

Annual leave depends on who you are employed by and is usually negotiable
under the Employment Contract Act.  Three weeks leave and several 'sick
days' per annum seems to be about the norm.

The Holidays Act over rides the ECA which manadates at least three weeks
leave a year.  You may negiotate a more favourable arrangement than this,
but not less favourable.

Getting 3 weeks holiday does not mean you will always get a choice as to
when you take it.  Some offices close between Christmas and New Year, so
that's a compulsory 1 - 2 weeks off.  It less likely in the retail trade,
but certainly still happens in factories.

Bruce Hamilton added:
"It is just an option.  You can demand the leave.  Also these days most
companies *want* their staff to take the leave for genuine health and
morale reasons.  The "use it or lose it" option is a fairly recent
innovation that has arisen because these days, at financial year end,
accrued annual leave is listed as a liability.  Silly I know, as they
gained from the worker actually working, but that's how many companies now
view it, and ask staff to not accumulate more than a year's worth, or face
forfeiting leave in excess of the limit.  Note that many companies extend
the leave entitlement to 4 weeks after a suitable employment period."

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B3.4.1  National

1998
01/01  Jan 01  New Years Day (first Monday/Tuesday if 1st is Sat/Sun)
02/01  Jan 02  Day After New Years day
06/02  Feb 06  Waitangi day (not moved if on a weekend)
10/04  Apr     Easter Friday (Friday before Easter Sunday)
13/04  Apr     Easter Monday (Monday after Easter Sunday)
25/04  Apr 25  ANZAC Day (not moved if Sat/Sun, shops closed morning only)
01/06  Jun     Queen's Birthday (first Monday of June) 
26/10  Oct     Labour Day (fourth Monday of October) 
25/12  Dec 25  Christmas Day (first Monday/Tuesday if 25th is Sat/Sun)
26/12  Dec 26  Boxing Day

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B3.4.2  Regional

Note these are subject to variations typically to accommodate local show
days.  As a general rule (apart from holidays which are observed on show
days) if the Anniversary Day falls on Friday to Sunday (inclusive) it is
observed the following Monday, if it falls on Tuesday to Thursday it is
observed the preceding Monday.

Observed Date Region

1998 Jan 19   Southland Anniversary
1998 Jan 19   Wellington Anniversary
1998 Jan 26   Auckland and Northland Anniversary
1998 Feb 02   Nelson Anniversary
1998 Mar 09   Taranaki Anniversary
1998 Mar 23   Otago Anniversary ( 150th Anniversary )
1998 Sep 28   South Canterbury Anniversary
1998 Oct 23   Hawkes Bay Anniversary
1998 Nov 02   Marlborough Anniversary
1998 Nov 13   North and Central Canterbury Anniversary (3rd Friday after
              Labour Day) called 'Show Day' and on the third day of the
              annual Chch A&P Show.
1998 Nov 30   Chatham Islands Anniversary
1998 Nov 30   Westland Anniversary

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B3.4.3  Web Resources on Holidays

Department of Labour Industrial Relations Online Information
          http://www.nzir.dol.govt.nz/index.html
Public Holiday dates 1997 - 2004   
          http://www.nzir.dol.govt.nz/rights/leave/dates/index.html
    1998 Public holiday dates
          http://www.nzir.dol.govt.nz/rights/leave/dates/1998.html#1998
Paid Holiday and other leave incl Annual leave rights and public holidays
          http://www.nzir.dol.govt.nz/rights/leave/index.html