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Equal Pay Act 1972

Pay equity claims - Consolidation of claims

13O: Process to request consent to consolidate

You could also call this:

"Asking to combine two pay claims into one"

If you want to combine two claims, you can ask to do this at any time before the first claim is settled. You can make this request if you are a union who started either claim or an employer who is involved in either claim. You need to make the request in writing and include some important information.

You must describe the work that the employees do in each claim and explain how their work is similar. You also need to provide evidence to support your explanation, which can include evidence required by regulations, as seen in section 13N(2) and section 13N(3)(b). This evidence will help show that the work is the same or substantially similar.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS427282.

Topics:
Rights and equality > Anti-discriminationWork and jobs > Worker rights
Previous

13N: Consolidation of claim raised with additional or new employer with existing union-raised claim, or

"Combining pay fairness claims with new or different employers"

Next

13P: Effect of consolidation, or

"What happens when multiple pay claims are combined into one claim to sort out equal pay issues"

Part 4Pay equity claims
Consolidation of claims

13OProcess to request consent to consolidate

  1. This section applies to a request to consolidate a claim raised by a union with an additional employer (see section 13N(2)) or a new employer (see section 13N(3)(b)) with an existing pay equity claim.

  2. A request to consolidate may be made by—

  3. a union who raised either of the claims; or
    1. an employer with whom either of the claims is raised.

      1. A request to consolidate may be made at any time before the first of the claims is settled.

      2. A request to consolidate must be made in writing and must include—

      3. a description of the work performed by the employees who are covered by each of the claims; and
        1. an explanation of how the work performed by the employees who are covered by each of the claims is considered to be the same or substantially similar; and
          1. the evidence that the union or employer requesting the consolidation relies on in support of the explanation included under paragraph (b) (including any evidence required by regulations).

            Notes
            • Section 13O: inserted, on , by section 18 of the Equal Pay Amendment Act 2020 (2020 No 45).
            • Section 13O(4)(a): amended, on , by section 17(1) of the Equal Pay Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 21).
            • Section 13O(4)(b): amended, on , by section 17(2) of the Equal Pay Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 21).
            • Section 13O(4)(c): inserted, on , by section 17(3) of the Equal Pay Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 21).