The Warehouse Way - A Team Member's Handbook - Taking a break

The Warehouse Way - A Team Member's Handbook (Taking a Break)



Applies to: all TWL team

Taking a Break

Your employment agreement sets out your current annual, bereavement and sick/domestic leave entitlements and benefits. We ensure we meet NZ employment law requirements and exceed them in some cases.

Login to MyPay to request to take leave or check with your Manager

Birthday Leave

A special Warehouse Group feature for permanent Team Members working here is that you receive a paid day off on or around the time of your birthday. If your birthday is on a day you do not work you will still get Birthday Leave. You must apply for this leave as you would annual leave. Birthday leave does not accrue so remember to apply for it.

Long Service Leave

We recognise exceptional commitment to the business through your length of service by offering a long service leave benefit. At 10, 20 and 30 years’ service you get an additional one-off special allocation of an extra four weeks leave. This is on top of your normal annual leave. Long Service Leave can be cashed up if you want to.

Leave Without Pay

There may be occasions where you need an extended break from work. After 6 months of working for us, you can discuss and apply in writing to your manager for leave without pay of up to six weeks. This may be granted at your Manager’s discretion and is based on compelling need. You must use all other outstanding annual leave and alternate days first.

Taking family, medical & other leave

Extended Sick Leave - Wellness Support

Where possible we help you if you need to take extended sick leave because of more serious illness.  If you have been with us for more than three months you may be eligible to paid sick leave for a period of up to three months. This leave is for personal, unexpected health issues and is at our discretion.

You apply for this leave through your Manager and it also requires Employment Relations Manager approval.  We need documentation from your medical provider so that we understand your diagnosis, prognosis and medical needs. Your application is considered on its merits.   At the end of the three months your situation will be reviewed. If extra leave is required, then any other sick or discretionary leave accrued must be taken before any further extended leave can be considered.


Refer to the Wellness Support Application Form or check with your Manager

A note about when you can’t come to work

If you are sick for the day or just running late, you must notify your Manager as soon as possible – preferably prior to your start time or as soon as practicable after that start time. Text messaging is not appropriate. You must contact your Manager by phone and leave a voicemail if they are unavailable, notifying them of your contact phone number.  Leaving a message with a fellow Team Member is not sufficient notice of your absence.

Leave for Jury Service

If you are required for jury service or are subpoenaed as a witness, inform your Manager as soon as possible and complete a leave application. You will be paid your normal working hours while on jury service. If you are no longer required to be at Court or serving on the jury, you must return to work.  All court fees paid to you, less expenses, must be paid to the company.

There may be occasions when critical work requirements may enable your jury service to be deferred.  Consult with your Manager or Ask People Support if this occurs.

NZ Representative Sports Leave

We are proud of our team members who are chosen to represent NZ in sport. Once you have been with us for one year and are chosen to represent NZ in a sport you may apply to your manager for assistance (include any documents from your sport’s officiating body). At your manager’s discretion you may be granted up to 15 days paid sports leave, up to six weeks unpaid leave for preparation (or annual leave taken) and/or financial or sponsorship assistance. This assistance continues at our discretion and will stop should you no longer be a NZ representative. Apply for leave through your manager or My Pay.


Lifestyle Leave
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Here at The Warehouse we offer Lifestyle Leave, which allows team members to purchase either 5 or 10 days additional leave per year, and pay this off via deductions to take extra time off throughout the year to spend with their kids, go on holiday and reduce the need for childcare. They can apply for an additional 10 days leave so that team members can take over and above their 4 weeks’ annual leave.


Career Break 

Career Break is available for all permanent team members who have been employed for 3 years or more and would like to take up to 12 months off work, unpaid, to undertake activities that will build transferable skills, and have a job to return to.  These activities could be things like going on an overseas experience or pursuing further study.

Parental Leave

This leave is for when you are expecting or adopting a baby. You become entitled to parental leave after six months of starting work with us, provided you work at least an average of 10 hours per week. Parental leave is unpaid, however, you may be entitled to Paid Parental leave under the government scheme. You can continue to use your Team Discount Card while on parental leave.

We recommend that you use any accumulated annual leave before you start parental leave. As part of our commitment to you we will treat any annual leave accrued during your absence as normal annual leave - this is over the minimum legal requirements.

To apply for parental leave you need to give at least three months written notice.

When you plan to return to work, you need to give us 21 days written notice.   Upon your return to work from Parental Leave, your length of service is considered continuous and uninterrupted for long-service award purposes. You have to return to work for at least a further six months before you take another period of parental leave.

You can find all you need to know by searching Parental Leave or ask your Manager to print out a copy for you along with the application forms.

Be There: For Partners

Adjusting to a new member of the family is an exciting and challenging time in anyone’s life. We recognise that being a supporting parent can be really hard emotionally and financially.

This is available for all permanent team members who are the supporting parent and welcoming a new child into their family will be eligible for 5 days paid leave. Your Manager will need to authorise this request.


Ease Back to Work

Ease back to work for new parents will let you get some balance as you return to work with part-time hours on your full-time pay to make the changes easier and so you don’t have to worry about any financial impact on your family.

This is available for all permanent team members who normally work 5 days per week (or 40 hours) and are returning to their previous role in a full time capacity after they have been on parental leave.
If you work 5 days a week, you can take the equivalent of 1 day off every week for a period of 4 weeks while you ease back into work. You will still get paid for the day you have off. You will need to negotiate which days you have off with your manager.

Refer to Baby Matters 1 or check with your Manager