As well as agreeing together about when you want to take your annual holidays, your employer must give you the opportunity to take at least 2 weeks of your 4 weeks’ annual holidays continuously.

Annual holidays: more information — Employment New Zealand

• Taking annual holidaysEmployment New Zealand
• When employment endsEmployment New Zealand
• Impact of other types of holidays and leave on or by annual holidaysEmployment New Zealand
• Accrued annual holidaysEmployment New Zealand

Taking annual holidays in advance

If you do not have any annual holidays and you want to take time off, your employer might agree to let you take paid holidays in advance. When you reach your next anniversary, you’ll get your annual holiday entitlement, minus what you’ve already taken.

Taking holidays in advance — Employment New Zealand

Taking holidays during an annual closedown

If your employer has an annual closedown, you have to take time off even if you do not have any annual holidays. Annual closedowns often happen over Christmas and New Year, or for a seasonal break.

Your employer must give you at least 14 days’ notice of the closedown.

You have to take as much of your annual holidays as required to cover the closedown period. If you do not have enough annual holidays to cover the whole closedown period, you can take (if your employer agrees):

• annual holidays in advance
• some leave without pay, or
• another form of leave.

If the closedown period includes any public holidays, you’ll be paid for them.

Closedowns: more information — Employment New Zealand

• Annual closedownsEmployment New Zealand
• Taking holidays in advanceEmployment New Zealand
• Leave without payEmployment New Zealand