Personal grievance deadline calculator
The last day to raise a personal grievance under section 114 of the Employment Relations Act 2000: 90 days, or 12 months for sexual harassment, beginning with the day the action occurred or came to the client's notice.
Enter the date on the left. The last day appears here, written out for the file.
The calculator counts calendar days under section 114 of the Employment Relations Act 2000. It does not know the facts of the matter, and a date is not advice. Check the section before relying on it.
How it counts
- Enter the trigger date. The day the action happened, or the day the client learnt of it, whichever is later.
- Choose the grievance. 90 days for most grievances, 12 months for sexual harassment.
- Read the last day, written in full, with a flag if it falls on a weekend, is two weeks away or has passed.
- Copy the file note. A dated paragraph that cites section 114 and names both dates, ready for the file.
The arithmetic is the one the Act sets: a period that begins with a date includes that date. The guide to the 90-day deadline explains the section, what counts as raising a grievance, and the routes left once the period has passed.
Questions
How is the 90-day period counted?
Section 114 says the period begins with the date the action occurred or came to the employee's notice, whichever is later. That day is day one, so the last day is 89 days after it. A dismissal on 25 September 2026 can be raised until 23 December 2026.
When does the period run from if the employee found out later?
From the later of the two dates: the day the action occurred or the day it came to the employee's notice. Record both at intake and argue for the later one only if you have to.
What if the last day is a weekend?
Nothing in section 114 moves the date. Raise the grievance by the Friday before.
Is the limit different for sexual harassment?
Yes. Since 13 June 2023 a grievance about sexual harassment has 12 months, beginning with the same day. The calculator switches to that period when you choose it.
Can a grievance be raised after the period?
Only with the employer's consent, or with leave from the Employment Relations Authority under section 115, which is granted on exceptional grounds such as a representative who was instructed in time and failed to act.
Sidqo provides legal information, not legal representation. The calculator counts calendar days under section 114 as it stands on the date above; it does not know the facts of a matter. Check the section before relying on a date.
Ask me anything about this.
A question about the guide, the tool, or how Sidqo would work at your firm goes straight to me. I read every message myself and reply within one working day.
Or email joy@sidqo.com
See the case file before the first call.
Sidqo gives New Zealand firms their own intake link. Clients explain their matter and upload documents; you open an organised case file with a memo draft waiting. Open the demo dashboard, or book a 30-minute call and we'll walk through it with your own matters in mind.
Read about Sidqo for Lawyers in New Zealand
Sidqo provides legal information and workflow tools, not legal representation. Memo drafts are a starting point for the reviewing lawyer.