Abstract
New Zealand's labour law relating to employment status is inadequate and outdated. How a worker is classified forms the basis for which legal rights and protections they are entitled to. This is a crucial step in ensuring workers are adequately protected from the vulnerabilities they face in their working relationships. Unfortunately, however, "there is a growing discrepancy between the group of workers that need the protection of labour law and those who actually enjoy such protection". Labour laws have not been sufficiently updated in light of dramatic changes in the labour market. New Zealand's labour law framework needs to respond to these changes. This dissertation will focus on New Zealand labour law and the areas in which it is failing to meet its goals. This issue, however, is not isolated to New Zealand as many other countries are grappling with or have implemented change to address the issue. This dissertation will look to countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada which have legislated in response to this issue in suggesting a solution for New Zealand.