When it comes to compliance with New Zealand employment and labour laws, it pays to get it right the first time.
Navigating our employment landscape can be challenging. It is compliance-heavy, and employment laws and regulations are frequently changing. This can be especially tough on small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), who often don't have a dedicated HR resource in-house.
Many business owners simply don’t have the time (or expertise) to manage their internal HR properly, especially as their business grows. In light of that, many turn to HR platforms to manage employment procedures, improve legal compliance, empower their managers, and power their payroll.
But not all HR platforms are created equal, and it’s tough to compare platform features, service offerings, and pricing across multiple websites.
We’ve developed this resource to give business owners an at-a-glance comparison of the most popular HR platforms in New Zealand, and demonstrate why MyHR is the best HR software for New Zealand SMEs.
Feature-by-feature breakdown
When it comes to our competitors, we have no competitors. Seriously. No other HR solution in New Zealand offers the same feature-rich HR platform seamlessly integrated with on-call expert HR support that MyHR does.
MyHR automates time-consuming processes and paperwork and lets your people self-serve. Generate personalised, fully compliant HR documentation in real time - from employment agreements to change letters - with digital acceptance built in. Plus, manage onboarding, leave, training, performance reviews, and goal tracking in one place.
For a full summary of MyHR’s features and how other HR platforms in New Zealand stack up, check out our summary table:
| Feature / Capability | MyHR | Employment Hero | Peninsula HR | BrightHR | BambooHR |
| NZ employment law compliance | Built-in compliance, proactive updates, HR/legal support included | AU-focused, limited NZ depth | Compliance support, but tied to long contracts | Compliance-oriented software; NZ depth limited without add-on advisory | Generic/global, no NZ compliance |
| HR + legal advisory | Unlimited HR advice from HR experts based in New Zealand | Advisory costs extra, AU call centre-based |
Advisory available, but via high-cost consulting model | Light guidance within app; deep advice typically via Peninsula contracts | None |
| Payroll integration | Integrates seamlessly with Xero and major NZ payroll providers | Payroll included, AU/NZ support | No native payroll, strong Xero integration | No payroll (focus on HR admin, time & attendance) | US/global integrations only |
| Onboarding & offboarding | Digital contracts, checklists, automated workflows | Strong workflows, but AU-centric | Process advice + software | Core HR docs, e-sign, checklists; limited NZ-specific automation | Good workflows, not NZ-specific |
| Performance management | Comprehensive reviews, goals, and smart notes | Comprehensive | Advisory-led, no software | Basic objectives/records; not a full performance suite | Comprehensive |
| Health & safety (HSWA) | Built-in H&S policies, risk management aligned to NZ law | AU WHS focus | Consultancy support, but no automation | BrightSafe module focuses on risk assessments; not NZ-specific by default | Not localised |
| Employee self-service | Digital document acceptance, leave requests, employment contract access | Strong employee experience mobile app | None (manual consultancy model) | Strong mobile apps (HR Docs, rotas, clock-in) | Strong UX2 |
| Pricing transparency | Straightforward pricing structure based on company headcount | Complex tiers, add-ons | Opaque pricing, long-term contracts | Tiered pricing; advanced features/advice often add-on service/ more expensive contracts | High price per user, expensive for SMEs |
| Customer fit (NZ SMEs) | 100% designed for NZ small & medium businesses | Better for AU corporates scaling down | Larger SMEs willing to sign long-term consultancy contracts | Suits SMEs wanting HR admin + time tools; NZ compliance needs supplements | Global/US SMBs, not NZ-centric |
| Ownership | New Zealand owned & operated | Australian owned & operated | Owned by UK investment firm | Owned by UK investment firm | Multi-national US-based platform |
Employment law compliance and risk management
MyHR has been supporting NZ businesses for over ten years, and in that time not one of our clients has faced a successful public grievance claim when they have followed our direction.
Our expert team of HR professionals knows NZ employment law inside out, and we’re across any new legislation or change in regulations. Updates flow seamlessly to clients through our AI-capable HRIS platform, whether it’s an update to employment agreements or company policy. It’s about ensuring your HR procedures and documentation are robust and low-risk, so customers can get on with building their business.
Our team of experienced HR advisors are available on-call to help triage tricky situations, decide on next steps, and manage risk and liability to your organisation.
Pricing transparency
Where other platforms gate certain functionality behind paywalls or add-on modules, MyHR’s pricing structure is simple and transparent. Whether you’re a business with 10 employees or 100, all MyHR customers gain access to our entire platform from day one. All software features, and unlimited on-call support from our team of HR admins and advisors.
On-call support and advisory
From its inception, MyHR has baked human HR expertise into the platform, so customers get personalised support every step of the way. Whether its guidance for dealing with an employee who’s underperforming or assistance with creating company policies that are tailored to the business, MyHR’s team of HR professionals ensures every customer gets advice and support that’s specific to their situation.
Ease of use
Other HR platforms are feature-rich but overwhelming - you need to be an HR person to make the most of the platform.
MyHR is streamlined for business owners and managers, giving you everything you need to manage your people, without the fluff. From precise job descriptions, employment agreements and performance tracking, to shared calendars and employee self-service, MyHR’s platform is built from the ground up to take the burden out of managing people.
Employee self service
Employment relationships are human relationships and MyHR empowers not only employers and managers, it also provides employees with access and tools to build trust and participation.
Digital document acceptance, access to employment documentation, leave requests, 2-way performance reviews, MyHR builds a solid foundation for thriving employees, and with our powerful analytics and reporting tools, you’ll know exactly how your people and organisation are tracking.
Verdict
If you’re an NZ business seeking a comprehensive HR platform that takes care of your people while keeping your business compliant and protected, MyHR is the obvious choice.
Book a demo with one of our HR Solutions Experts today to get started.
