Templates & scripts
Ready-to-send wording for the awkward emails, letters and phone calls. Copy, fill in the [brackets], send.
Redundancy & your employer16 templates
- Ask for the written restructuring proposal and the information behind itYou have been told your role 'might' be affected, but you have only heard it verbally or in a meeting. Send this straight afterwards.
- Give written feedback on a redundancy proposalYour employer has shared a change proposal and asked for feedback. Your feedback is your formal chance to influence the outcome.
- Ask for your selection scores and the criteria usedMore than one person did the same role and the employer picked who to keep. You want to see how you were assessed.
- Ask about redeployment and current vacanciesYour role is proposed to go or has been confirmed as redundant, and you want to be considered for other roles in the organisation.
- Ask about redundancy compensationYou have been told your job is going and nobody has mentioned redundancy pay. Use after checking your employment agreement.
- Respond to a settlement offer with a counter-offerYou have been offered money (and perhaps a signed agreement) to leave. You want to negotiate without giving up your rights.
- Raise a personal grievance in writing (unjustified dismissal)You believe your redundancy or dismissal was unfair or the process was not followed. Send within 90 days of your employment ending (12 months for sexual harassment).
- Request the written reasons for your dismissalYou were dismissed or made redundant and were not told clearly why. You can ask within 60 days of finding out.
- Ask for your final pay breakdownYour last day is near or past and you want a clear, itemised calculation of everything you are owed.
- Request your personal information (Privacy Act 2020, Principle 6)You want your personnel file, performance notes, selection scores, or emails about you, from an employer or another organisation.
- Ask for a reference and a statement of serviceYou are leaving (redundancy or otherwise) and want a written reference, and a simple factual record of your service to give to Work and Income, landlords or the next employer.
- Ask for time off to attend job interviews during noticeYou are working out your notice and have interviews or a job-search appointment to attend.
- Ask to bring a support person to a meetingYou have been invited to a restructure, disciplinary or termination meeting and want someone with you.
- Recap email after a redundancy meetingStraight after any meeting or phone call about your job. It creates a dated record of what was said.
- Ask for more time to respondYou have been given a tight deadline to give feedback, accept an offer or sign an agreement.
- Ask to change your notice period or leave earlyYou have a new job to start, or you would rather be paid out than work your notice (or the other way around).
Money, banks & bills10 templates
- Ask your bank for mortgage hardship helpYou have lost income and may struggle to make mortgage repayments soon, or already have. Contact the bank before you miss a payment if you can.
- Ask your credit card provider for hardship helpYou can no longer afford card repayments at the current level after losing your job.
- Ask for hardship help on a car loan or personal loanRepayments on a car, finance-company or personal loan are no longer affordable.
- Ask your landlord for a rent reduction or payment planYour income has dropped and you want to stay in the rental. Ask before you fall behind.
- Ask your power or gas company for hardship helpYou are worried about paying your electricity or gas bill after losing income.
- Ask your phone or internet provider for hardship helpYou want to lower or pause phone, broadband or phone-plan costs without losing connection for job hunting.
- Ask IRD for a payment arrangement on tax debtYou owe tax (for example PAYE on a lump sum, a tax bill from contracting or Working for Families overpayment) and cannot pay on time.
- Ask IRD about student loan repayments after losing workYou have a student loan and your income has dropped to little or nothing.
- Ask your child's school for support with fees, uniform or tripsMoney is tight and you need help with donations, uniform, stationery, camps or devices for your child.
- Ask your doctor for a medical certificate for Work and IncomeIllness, injury, disability or pregnancy limits your ability to work, and you want to claim Jobseeker Support - Health Condition or Disability, or a deferral of work obligations.
Work and Income6 templates
- Ask Work and Income for urgent help (Special Needs Grant or Advance)You urgently need money for food, rent arrears, power, a medical or other essential cost and cannot wait for your next payment.
- Ask Work and Income to review a decisionWork and Income declined something, paid less than you think you are entitled to, or started payments late. You have 3 months to ask for a review (late ones can be accepted for good reason).
- Ask for a case manager or a single point of contactYou keep repeating your story to different staff, or your situation is complex and you want one consistent person.
- Confirm or reschedule a Work and Income appointmentYou want a written record that you attended or will attend an appointment, or need to change it. Missing appointments can lead to sanctions.
- Ask Work and Income to backdate a paymentYou should have received a payment earlier but did not because you didn't know, were given wrong information, were unwell or couldn't apply sooner.
- Call script: phoning Work and IncomeYou are about to ring 0800 559 009 and want to get what you need done in one call.
Job search15 templates
- Cold outreach to a hiring manager or companyThere is no advertised job, but you would like to work for the organisation. Many NZ roles are filled through contacts and word of mouth.
- Ask your network for advice or introductionsYou want to tell people you are looking and ask for leads without sounding desperate.
- Ask someone to refer you for a specific jobYou've seen a job at a company where you know someone.
- Thank-you email after an interviewWithin 24 hours of any interview.
- Follow up when you haven't heard backThe date you were told has passed, or it's been a week or more since an application or interview.
- Negotiate salary or conditions on a job offerYou've received an offer and want to ask for better pay, hours, start date or other terms.
- Accept a job offerYou have a written offer and are ready to say yes.
- Decline a job offer graciouslyYou've got an offer that isn't right, or accepted elsewhere.
- Explain a gap in your CVA cover letter, application form or interviewer asks about a gap, or you are worried about one.
- LinkedIn post: telling people you are looking for workYou're ready to tell your network and want leads.
- Introduce yourself to a recruiterYou want a recruitment agency to keep you in mind for roles.
- Ask a former boss to be a refereeYou need a reference and want to ask permission properly.
- Ask a colleague for a reference or recommendationYou'd like a written reference or LinkedIn recommendation from a peer, client or supplier.
- Explain your redundancy in an interviewYou get asked 'Why did you leave your last job?' or 'Tell me about your last role.'
- Apply for a volunteering roleYou want to keep skills fresh, build contacts or fill a gap on your CV while you search.
Housing2 templates
Other6 templates
- How to tell family and friends you've lost your jobYou're finding it hard to start the conversation, or want to ask for help without feeling like a burden.
- How to talk to your kids about losing your jobChildren have noticed that something is different and you want to explain it calmly.
- Formal complaint to your employer or HRYou've experienced bullying, unfair treatment, health and safety issues, or unfair process at work and want it recorded formally (before or after leaving).
- Call script: Employment New Zealand (0800 20 90 20)You want free, general information about your rights, a mediation service, or to report an employer who isn't paying you what you're owed.
- Call script: your bank's hardship teamYou're about to phone your bank or lender about a mortgage, loan or credit card.
- Evidence log: what to keep and where to send thingsFrom today. Use it for any dispute with an employer, Work and Income, a lender or a landlord.