Peninsula HR

Employment Contract Advice for New Zealand Employers

Clear, compliant employment agreements tailored to your business, drafted by experts who understand NZ employment law.

Call now 0800 459 907

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How We Help With Employment Contracts

Drafting New Employment Contracts

Create fully compliant, customised employment agreements for new hires, permanent, part time, casual, fixed term, or contractor arrangements. Every contract is drafted to meet ERA requirements and reflect your actual business operations.

Contract Review & Compliance Checks

We review your existing contracts to identify risks, outdated clauses, missing mandatory terms, and compliance gaps. Avoid issues with trial periods, hours of work, pay clarity, and leave entitlements.

Updating & Varying Existing Contracts

Support with contract variations, role changes, pay adjustments, restructuring, and updated clauses. All changes follow good faith requirements and protect your business.

Specialist Clauses & Risk Management

Expert guidance on trial periods, probation, confidentiality, intellectual property, restraint of trade, notice periods, and termination provisions tailored to your industry.

Call now 0800 459 907

Speak to a Contract Specialist

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Helping employers like you in NZ for over 40 years

Our passion for helping thousands of small and medium sized business owners is why they choose Peninsula to provide HR and Health & Safety support. Discover what they have to say.

Radisson RED Auckland

Peninsula is awesome! They were available 24/7 and supported our HR needs efficiently. Great service and excellent follows ups - highly recommended.

New Zealand Starch Limited

I highly recommend Peninsula for any business needing support with HR and employment relations. Their team is professional, responsive, and incredibly supportive during challenging situations. The advice team provides clear, practical guidance, giving us real confidence when navigating complex HR matters. Thank you to the Peninsula team for their continued support and commitment to helping businesses manage HR successfully.

Chilled Status

Peninsula supported us through a tough claims situation and made the process far less stressful by guiding us through the process and advocating for us. We appreciate their friendly and professional approach as it truly put us a lot more at ease!

Onyx Laundry

We used Peninsula’s Face2Face service and the team really looked after us. Their professionalism and expertise made a real difference, and the support we received was invaluable. We’ve been with Peninsula for 7 years and will definitely be making more use of this service in the future.

Royal Auckland and Grange Golf Club

I’ve had a great experience working with Peninsula’s H&S team. They were knowledgeable, approachable, and responsive throughout the entire process. Their guidance made navigating employment relations far more manageable, and I appreciated how they took the time to understand our specific HSW needs. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Peninsula to other businesses seeking H&S advice and support.

Peckham Spring

Peninsula’s BrightSafe software has made managing our Health & Safety simple and effective. The platform is easy to use and provides all the tools and resources we need to ensure our business is putting H&S first and staying compliant. Peninsula’s H&S team has been incredibly informative, and we’re looking forward to continuing to benefit from their knowledge and expertise as we move forward.

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Why compliant employment contracts matter

A well drafted employment contract protects your business, sets clear expectations, and reduces the risk of personal grievances. Our specialists ensure your agreements meet all legal requirements under the Employment Relations Act 2000 and reflect how your business actually operates.

What your employment contract must include

Names of employer and employee
Job description and duties
Place of work
Hours of work or predictable work arrangements
Pay rate and pay cycle
Public holiday entitlements
Leave entitlements
Notice periods
Problem resolution process
Employment protection provisions
Optional clauses: trial period, probation, confidentiality, IP, restraint of trade

Call now 0800 459 907

Request Contract Advice

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Avoid unfair or unenforceable clauses

Many employers unknowingly include clauses that are outdated, unenforceable, or non compliant, especially around trial periods, fixed term agreements, hours of work, and restraint of trade. We help you identify risks before they become costly problems or escalate into dismissal or personal grievance issues.

Call now 0800 459 907

Get a Free Contract Review

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Employment agreements we support

Whether you’re hiring your first employee or expanding your team, our specialists can draft, review, or update contracts across all employment types, like permanent, part time, casual, fixed term, senior roles, and contractor arrangements. Every agreement is tailored to your business and compliant with NZ law.

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Call now 0800 459 907

Get Contract Support

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Got a question? We've got answers

What should an employment contract include in New Zealand?

Every employee must have a written employment agreement outlining duties, hours, pay, leave, notice periods, and a process for resolving workplace issues.

Are trial periods valid for all employers?

Trial periods must be agreed in writing before work begins and only apply to eligible businesses. They must be clearly worded to be enforceable.

What’s the difference between casual and permanent employment?

Casual employees have no guaranteed hours. Permanent employees have ongoing, regular hours and full leave entitlements.

Can I update an employee's contract?

Yes, but changes must be negotiated in good faith and agreed to by both parties.

Do contractors need contracts too?

Absolutely. Contractor agreements protect your business and help avoid misclassification risks.

Call now 0800 459 907

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Get expert HR support, compliant documentation, and complete peace of mind for your small business today.

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Peninsula Protect is a discretionary risk product issued by Peninsula Mutual Limited ACN 630 256 478 AFS Licence No. 544232. Peninsula Mutual Limited has appointed Peninsula Group NZ Limited NZBN 9429042175179 to distribute the discretionary risk product in New Zealand. To decide if this product is right for you, please read the Peninsula Protect Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) and Target Market Determination.