The Supplementary Seasonal Employment (SSE) policy will become effective on 27 July 2009. This policy will replace the Transitioning to Recognised Seasonal Employer (TRSE) policy. Changes to the Recognised Seasonal Employment (RSE) policy will also be made on 27 July.
Supplementary Seasonal Employment policy
The SSE policy allows employers in the horticulture and viticulture industries to supplement their New Zealand workforce with onshore non-New Zealand citizen or resident workers when labour demand exceeds the available New Zealand workforce.
The key features of the new policy are:
- employers will apply for an SSE approval in principle to employ SSE workers to fill a certain number of positions
- SSE approvals in principle will only be approved where INZ, in consultation with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD), establishes that there are insufficient New Zealanders to fill those positions
- employers must have good employment practices and satisfy INZ that they have been, and will continue to, actively recruit New Zealand workers
- people on valid temporary permits in New Zealand can apply for a six-month SSE work permit which allows them to work for any employer with an SSE approval in principle
- work permit applications will only be approved where the applicant has not held an SSE or TRSE work permit previously and has not held any type of work permit since their most recent entry to New Zealand.
Employers with current TRSE approval will be allowed to recruit SSE workers. INZ will shortly send these employers a letter to inform them of this and explain how the policy change affects them.
For full details of the new SSE policy see pages 5 to 9 of Amendment Circular 2009-07 PDF [1157KB].
Amendments to Recognised Seasonal Employer policy
Two changes have been made to RSE policy.
Recruitment from outside the Pacific
Employers recruiting workers from outside the Pacific under RSE policy have to show they have a pre-established relationship with workers from that country. Currently, approvals in principle granted after the introduction of RSE policy (April 2007) were not considered to form a pre-established relationship. From 27 July 2009 this date restriction will be removed so all workers recruited on approvals in principle can be considered in the assessment of pre-established relationships.
Deductions below the minimum wage
Currently under RSE policy employers cannot make deductions to their workers’ wages which reduce their wages below the minimum wage (apart from deductions for the purpose of recovering the cost of travel). From 27 July 2009, this restriction will be removed, however employers will be required to submit all proposed deductions from workers' wages to INZ for approval in advance.
For full details of the changes to RSE policy, see pages 15 to 21 of Amendment Circular 2009-07 PDF [1157KB].