Salons & barbers in New Zealand
What’s changing for salons & barbers in New Zealand, and what each change does to your numbers.
2026-08-18
On Monday your stylists go on the residence red list. The chef next door got a pathway
From Monday 24 August, New Zealand's residence system sorts workers by occupation, and every core salon role landed on the red list: hairdresser, beauty therapist, massage therapist, and salon manager. The chef two doors down got an amber route to residence at $42.00 an hour. Your senior stylist got a door that opens at $52.50. If anyone on your team is planning to apply under the current rules, their form closes the same day the lists arrive.
2026-08-11
The Holidays Act is finally gone. Your casual hours get dearer and your part-timers get cheaper
Five days ago the law that has caused more payroll headaches than anything else in New Zealand was replaced. If you run a salon or a barbershop with a mix of full-timers, Saturday part-timers and a junior you text when it gets busy, this changes what each of those hours costs you. Not yet, but the direction is now fixed and the arithmetic is worth knowing while you can still do something with it.
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Moonmoot gives business guidance based on the data it can see. It is not financial, legal, tax, or investment advice.