Changing Jobs in New Zealand 2026 — Financial Checklist

Changing jobs is a major financial event with more moving parts than most people realise. Getting your final pay right, understanding your KiwiSaver continuity, choosing the correct tax code, and protecting your income during the transition all require deliberate action.

Before You Leave — Notice Period and Obligations

Check your employment agreement

Your employment agreement specifies your notice period. Common notice periods:

Important: If you don’t give proper notice, your employer can deduct the shortfall from your final pay (up to the value of your notice period in some cases). Read your agreement carefully.

Garden leave

Some employers may place you on “garden leave” — you serve your notice period at home without working. You are still employed and still paid. This is more common in senior or sensitive roles.

Confidential information and restraints of trade

Check whether your employment agreement contains:

• Confidentiality clauses — restrictions on what information you can take or disclose
• Restraint of trade — restrictions on working for competitors (enforceability varies; get legal advice if significant)

Final Pay — What You’re Owed

Your final pay must include:

Annual leave payout

New Zealand law requires all accrued but untaken annual leave to be paid out in your final pay. This is calculated on your ordinary weekly pay or average weekly earnings, whichever is greater.

If you have taken more leave than you’ve accrued, the employer can deduct the excess from your final pay — check your leave balance before giving notice.

Redundancy — NZ has no statutory minimum

This surprises many people: New Zealand has no legally required minimum redundancy payment. You are only entitled to redundancy pay if:

• It is written into your individual employment agreement
• It is in a collective agreement
• Your employer has a documented redundancy policy

If you’re being made redundant, read your employment agreement carefully and get legal advice if the payout offered seems wrong.

KiwiSaver — What Happens When You Change Jobs

Continuity: your KiwiSaver continues

Your KiwiSaver account stays with your current provider — it doesn’t reset or restart. The account belongs to you, not your employer.

Auto-enrolment by new employer

Your new employer is required to enrol you in KiwiSaver within 12 months of you starting. In practice, most employers auto-enrol you from your first pay. You can opt out within 56 days of starting if you don’t want to be enrolled (or want to choose a different contribution rate).

Contribution rate

Your contribution rate (3%, 4%, 6%, 8%, or 10%) carries over — but confirm with your new employer’s payroll that it’s set up correctly. Contribution rates don’t automatically transfer in all payroll systems.

Employer contributions may change

Your new employer’s KiwiSaver contribution rate may differ from your previous employer’s. Most NZ employers contribute the minimum 3%, but some contribute more. Confirm with HR.

Tax Code for New Employer

Choosing the wrong tax code can mean overpaying or underpaying tax during the year.

Student loan repayments: If you have a student loan, use the SL suffix on your tax code to ensure repayments are deducted correctly.

Download the IR330 form from IRD and give it to your new employer’s payroll team on or before your first day.

The 90-Day Trial Period

Who it applies to

The 90-day trial period (also called the 90-day probationary period) only applies to:

• Businesses with fewer than 20 employees
• Employees who have not previously been employed by that employer

What it means

If a valid 90-day trial clause is in your employment agreement:

• Your employer can dismiss you within the first 90 days without the dismissal being subject to a personal grievance claim for unjustified dismissal
• You still have other employment rights (minimum wage, holidays, safe workplace, etc.)
• You can still raise a personal grievance for other reasons (discrimination, harassment, breach of good faith)

If you’re going to a business with 20+ employees

A 90-day trial clause is not enforceable. If you see one in your contract at a larger employer, get legal advice — you may still have full employment protections from day one.

Income Protection Insurance — Watch This Gap

Waiting periods can reset

Many income protection insurance policies have a waiting period (typically 4–8 weeks) before a claim can be paid. Some policies — particularly agreed-value policies — may have restrictions or definitions that change on a new employment.

Key risk: If you have an income protection policy and you change jobs, check whether:

• Your policy remains in force (most policies continue regardless of employer)
• Pre-existing condition definitions apply to your new role
• Any occupation vs own occupation definition changes

Contact your insurer or adviser when changing jobs — don’t assume continuity.

If you don’t have income protection

Changing jobs is a good trigger to get it. You can only earn while you’re healthy; ACC covers accidents but not illness. Income protection covers both.

Managing the Income Gap

Many job changes involve a gap — notice period ends Friday, new job starts the following Monday. Sometimes the gap is intentional (a break between roles). Sometimes it’s longer.

If you’re taking a break between jobs

• Calculate your emergency fund runway (expenses ÷ savings = months of runway)
• Check whether your income protection policy covers a voluntary career break (most don’t)
• Notify KiwiSaver provider if you want to pause contributions (contact them — you can’t self-pause as an employee unless through an employer)
• Budget for the gap explicitly — lost income plus any upfront costs at the new job (transport, clothing, etc.)

If you’re being made redundant and have a gap

• Apply for Jobseeker Support via WINZ — no stand-down period if you were made redundant
• See the Losing Your Job checklist for full details

Financial Checklist — Changing Jobs

Before your last day at current job

• Read your employment agreement: notice period, redundancy clause, restraint of trade, confidentiality
• Check your accrued leave balance — understand what you’ll be paid out
• Check if you’re owed a bonus or other entitlement that vests before you leave
• Ask HR to confirm final pay components in writing
• Collect any personal items and non-confidential personal records

At your new job (first week)

• Submit IR330 (tax code form) to payroll — use code M for primary job
• Confirm your KiwiSaver contribution rate is set up correctly
• Confirm your new employer’s KiwiSaver contribution rate
• Update your bank account details with payroll
• Ask about any employee benefits (health insurance, extra KiwiSaver, professional development)

Within 56 days of starting

• Opt out of KiwiSaver if desired (rare — only if you’re already on a contributions holiday or have a specific reason)

Within 30 days of starting

• Contact your income protection insurer and notify them of the job change
• Update your emergency budget to reflect new salary (if different from old)
• Update any salary-linked insurance or benefit nominations

Next Steps

1. Get your final pay confirmed in writing before your last day — disputes are easier to resolve before you’ve left
2. Submit your IR330 on day one at your new employer to avoid paying secondary tax rates on your primary income
3. Call your income protection insurer within the first week — confirm your policy continues and nothing has changed
4. Check your KiwiSaver is set up correctly in your first payslip — errors are common and easy to fix early

See also: Life Events hub · Losing Your Job checklist · KiwiSaver guides · Income guides