Easter trading laws: Your rights and responsibilities

It's the Easter holiday, and the Labour Inspectorate is reminding employers and employees to be aware of their rights and obligations concerning trading laws during the long weekend. 

Simon Humphries, head of the Labour Inspectorate, says it's important to understand these regulations.

"On three and a half days each year, almost all shops must close under the Shop Trading Hours Act 1990," Humphries says in a statement. "These are Christmas Day, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and until 1pm on ANZAC Day.

“Easter Sunday, 20 April 2025, is a restricted trading day under the Shop Trading Hours Act 1990, meaning most shops must remain closed. However, certain shops may open if they meet specific conditions."

Dairies, petrol stations, pharmacies, restaurants, cafēs, hairdressers, and barbers are among the businesses permitted to trade on Easter Sunday.

Farmers' and craft markets also qualify under these conditions, although they must meet specific requirements.

“Employees have the right to refuse work on Easter Sunday without providing a reason," Humphries says.

"This right applies to all shop employees, including those in exempted shops like dairies and petrol stations, as well as staff performing non-trading work such as shelf-stacking or stocktaking.” 

He adds that employers must inform employees of this right in writing between four and eight weeks before Easter Sunday.

Photo/David Crosling

Failure to provide proper notice means employees cannot be compelled to work on that day. 

“We want both employers and employees to understand that they have responsibilities and a process to follow when either an employer wants an employee to work on Easter Sunday, and where employees don’t want to work that day," he says. 

On 11 April 2024, ACT Party List MP Cameron Luxton's private member's bill to remove restrictions on selling alcohol over Easter was selected for debate.

The bill was first debated on 17 December 2024 and defeated by 74 to 49 votes, with MPs granted a conscience vote.

Humphries says he understands there has been confusion over the years about which types of shops can open on restricted trading days.

Photo/Unsplash/Kentaro Toma

He says some shops may also operate on restricted trading days because of an area exemption, which is generally granted in tourist areas like Taupō or Queenstown.

He adds that local councils can establish policies that allow shops within their area, or parts of it, to trade on Easter Sunday. "They create these policies and then notify MBIE.

“Generally, what we see is that people know the rules and are doing things right, what we’re keen to see is this extended across the board,” says Simon.

If you suspect a business is breaching the Easter trading laws, please notify MBIE online through the Labour Inspectorate complaints page on Employment New Zealand.

Watch Cameron Luxton present his member's bill in Parliament.