Payslip hours check: were you paid for every hour?
Type the hours you worked from your own record, your rate, and the hours and gross pay on your payslip. The calculator works out what your hours should have paid, with any overtime rate in your agreement and any 8% holiday pay, and shows the hours not paid, the shortfall and the employer KiwiSaver that goes with it.
Worked out for the example. Change the boxes to make it yours.
Your payslip is $104.00 short of what your hours should pay, and your employer's KiwiSaver contribution is $3.64 short with it. Ask your employer to check it against their wages and time record.
| Hours you worked | 82 hours (44 hours + 38 hours) |
|---|---|
| Hours on your payslip | 80 hours |
| Hours not paid | 2 hours |
| Ordinary: 78 hours at $26.00 | $2,028.00 |
| Overtime: 4 hours at 1.5x ($39.00) | $156.00 |
| What your hours should pay, before tax | $2,184.00 |
| Gross pay on your payslip | $2,080.00 |
| Short by | $104.00 |
| Employer KiwiSaver on the shortfall, at 3.5% | $3.64 |
| Your payslip across every hour you worked | $25.37 an hour |
- Your payslip may show a different rate for some hours, an allowance or a deduction. Apart from a court order or some overpayments, a deduction is only allowed if the law requires it, or you agreed to it in writing and it is for a legal and reasonable purpose.
Free on every plan. Your account adds this job and the first week's shifts to Your Timesheets, after asking, with the payslip figures noted, and keeps every change you make from then on.
How the check works
The calculator adds up the hours in your own record: each day's start to finish, less unpaid breaks, and for a fortnight the second week's total. If your agreement pays overtime after a number of hours a week, the hours past it in each week are paid at its rate; New Zealand law sets no overtime rate, so the rate is your agreement's. If you get 8% holiday pay with each pay, 8% is added on top. The total is what your hours should pay before tax, and the gap is that total less the gross pay on your payslip. If you are in KiwiSaver, your employer's contribution of at least 3.5% of gross pay is short by the same proportion. The last row spreads your payslip across every hour you worked, which is how an unpaid hour shows up against the minimum wage: $23.95 an hour for adults from 1 April 2026.
What your employer must keep, and what you can ask for
Under section 130 of the Employment Relations Act 2000, your employer must keep a wages and time record showing the hours you worked each day in a pay period and the pay for them, and how your wages were worked out. A payslip is not required by law unless your agreement says so, but Employment New Zealand says you can ask to see or have a copy of your wages and time record and your holiday and leave record. Apart from a court order or some overpayments, a deduction from your pay is only allowed if the law requires it, or you agreed to it in writing and it is for a legal and reasonable purpose. Our article on reading your payslip explains each line.
When the figures do not match
Start with your employer: share your record and ask how the payslip was worked out. Common causes are rounding of start and finish times, a break taken off that was paid, overtime paid at the ordinary rate, or a late shift that never reached the payroll. Our article on whether an employer can round your hours covers the first. If it is not fixed, section 131 of the Act lets you recover unpaid wages, even if you accepted the lower payment, and section 142 allows a claim up to 6 years after the money was due.
Why your own record matters
A record you made on the day, with the start, finish and break for each shift, is the strongest thing you can bring to that conversation. Keeping your own timesheet covers what to write down.
Questions
What do I do if I was not paid for all my hours?
Raise it with your employer first, with your own record of the hours, and ask them to check it against their wages and time record. If it is not fixed, unpaid wages can be recovered under section 131 of the Employment Relations Act 2000.
Can I ask my employer for my timesheet records?
Yes. Employment New Zealand says you can ask your employer to show you, or give you a copy of, your wages and time record and your holiday and leave record.
Does my employer have to give me a payslip?
Not unless your employment agreement says so, according to Employment New Zealand. Your employer must still keep a wages and time record showing the hours you worked each day and the pay for them.
How far back can I claim unpaid wages?
Section 142 of the Employment Relations Act 2000 allows a claim up to 6 years after the money was due.
Is employer KiwiSaver owed on unpaid hours?
Yes, if you are in KiwiSaver. Your employer's compulsory contribution is at least 3.5% of your gross salary or wages from 1 April 2026, so it goes up with any wages they pay you to make up the gap.
What happens when I save this?
Your account adds the job and its hourly rate to Your Timesheets, after asking, and the first week's shifts if you gave the date the pay period starts, with the payslip figures noted on the first shift. Logging hours is free on every plan.
Sources
- Employment Relations Act 2000, sections 130, 131 and 142.
- Employment New Zealand: payslips.
- Employment New Zealand: deductions and premiums.
- Employment New Zealand: record-keeping.
- Inland Revenue: employer contributions to KiwiSaver schemes and complying funds.
- Minimum Wage Order 2026 (SL 2026/16), in force 1 April 2026.
More free tools: see all the calculators.