Employment Court

E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā waka, e ngā hau e whā o te motu, nau mai, piki mai, haere mai, haere mai ki te Kōti Take Mahi.

The Employment Court hears and decides cases about employment disputes.  Most cases are first dealt with in the Employment Relations Authority.  For information on the Employment Relations Authority, and how to bring a claim in the Authority see here.

The Employment Court mainly deals with challenges (appeals) to determinations of the Employment Relations Authority.  It also deals with other claims, including disputes involving strikes and lockouts and applications for judicial review.

If you want to know more about your employment rights or have an employment relationship problem you can phone the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment on 0800 20 90 20 or visit their website: Employment New Zealand.

This site does not contain legal advice. The information does not necessarily apply to every case and is subject to the relevant provisions in the Employment Relations Act 2000, the Employment Court Regulations 2000, the common law, and practice directions issued by the judges. Some of these sources are referred to on this website.

Unfamiliar with Court processes?
“The Judges of Te Kōti Take Mahi o Aotearoa/the Employment Court of New Zealand are acutely aware that the courtroom environment is an unfamiliar and daunting place for many of our Court users.  We have been working to improve access to the Court, including through on-line resources. 

On this website you will find information about how to bring a case to the Employment Court, what to expect when you come to court and some useful links.  You do not need to have a lawyer or person representing you in the Employment Court.  You can appear on your own behalf.  While court staff cannot provide you with legal advice, they are available to assist you in navigating the process.  

For practical guidance on attending Court see: Our Courthouses – practical guidance Information on some practical matters to assist you when you come to Court: location, transport, parking, refreshment options. 

To see a case in action, view the “Employment Court introduction video”.  It shows a mock Court hearing, explaining the role of the Employment Court, the participants in a hearing and demonstrating some of the processes that often occur, e.g. the swearing in of a witness.  This video, which includes captions, can be found here on the Information & Guidance/What Happens During a Hearing page on the Employment Court website.”


From 1 July 2025 the Employment Court began publishing its judgments on the Judicial Decisions Online database (JDO). The Ministry of Justice maintains JDO, a searchable database of court judgments. We also publish our judgments on the Employment Court website.

Initially, the JDO website will have Employment Court judgments from 2025 onwards. 

From 3 June 2025 the Employment Court started publishing its judgments from 24 hours after the delivery date, or the next business day, unless otherwise directed by a judge.  Decisions of public interest may be published earlier, as directed by a judge.

What's happening in Court?

Employment Court cases scheduled for 10 November 2025 to 21 November 2025

Some cases can be dealt with remotely.
There are some circumstances in which a witness, a party or the hearing can be dealt with remotely.  The court has issued some guidelines on the sort of factors it will take into account when considering whether remote participation is appropriate. see Protocol for remote participation in Employment Court proceedings 2 July 2025.

Guidelines for remote viewing of Hearings - February 2022

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