Indicator 20: Retirement age

Information about the retirement age is published by the Department of Labour, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment at www.dol.govt.nz, and by the Ministry of Social Development at www.seniors.msd.govt.nz.

There is no compulsory retirement age for employees except for:

• certain non-New Zealand crews of ships and aircrafts;
• certain work performed outside of New Zealand;
• certain occupations, such as coroners and judges, where the retirement age is set in legislation;^[1]
• domestic employment in a private household; and  
• where being a particular age or in a particular age group is a genuine occupational qualification for the employment.

The exceptions above will not apply if the employer can make adjustments to the workplace – that would not cause unreasonable disruption – to allow another employee to carry out the work that the older person cannot do.^[2]

There is one other exception – if there is a written employment agreement between the employer and employee that was in force on 1 April 1992 and remains in force and, if the agreement specified a retirement age, and the employer and the employee agreed in writing on or after 1 April 1992 to confirm or change this retirement age, the employee must retire at that age. If there is no written confirmation on or after 1 April 1992, the employee cannot be made to leave because of their age.