Last updated 6 July 2026 · v1.0

Worker Agreement

Independent Contractor Agreement — agreed once, before a Worker’s first job

1. Status: independent contractor

1.1.You are engaged as an independent contractor. You are not an employee of Helpers NZ (“Helpers”) and this Agreement does not create an employment relationship, however it is described elsewhere.

1.2. Consistent with contractor status, you control how, when, and in what order you accept jobs; you may decline any job offered to you; you may work for other platforms or Clients found through other means; and you provide your own basic tools unless a specific job listing says otherwise.

1.3.Because contractor status depends on the real substance of the relationship (the NZ Employment Relations Act 2000 “real nature” test), Helpers will not direct your day-to-day work, set your hours, or require exclusivity, and this Agreement should be read consistently with that at all times.

2. What you’ll do

You may accept jobs listed on the Helpers platform in categories you’re approved for (gardening, cleaning, errands, and any categories later added). Each accepted job is a separate service contract between you and the Client; this Agreement covers the ongoing relationship between you and Helpers as the platform operator.

3. Payment

• You are paid the displayed rate for each job less Helpers’ platform fee, shown to you before you accept any job.
• Payment is released via Stripe Connect after the Client confirms the job complete (or after the automatic confirmation window lapses), typically within 2 business days.
• You are responsible for reporting a fair and accurate account of hours/tasks completed; disputes are handled under the platform Dispute Resolution Policy.

4. Staying on-platform

Helpers invests in vetting, matching, insurance-support infrastructure, and marketing to build the Client relationships you’re introduced to. At this stage, Helpers is not charging you any fee or fine for taking an introduced relationship off-platform — that would work against building a reliable Worker bench, which is the priority right now. Instead, Helpers relies on making the platform clearly worth staying on: see clause 6 (Ratings) and the payment protection, insurance-support, and dispute resolution described elsewhere in this Agreement, all of which only apply to jobs booked through the platform.

4.1.You’re asked, in good faith, not to move a recurring relationship introduced through the platform off-platform purely to avoid Helpers’ fee — but this is currently a request backed by better on-platform incentives, not a financial penalty.

4.2. If Helpers ever introduces a fee connected to this clause in future, it will tell you at least 30 days in advance, in plain terms, and it will not apply retroactively to relationships that existed before the change.

4.3.This clause is about protecting Helpers’ introduction investment, not about controlling your working life generally — you remain free to set your own hours, decline jobs, and work elsewhere.

5. Tax, ACC, and your obligations

• You must declare income earned through Helpers to Inland Revenue. Helpers will provide monthly earnings statements to help with this but does not withhold PAYE.
• You should register for GST if your total self-employed turnover requires it under IRD rules.
• ACC cover for injury applies automatically to self-employed people in NZ, but you should check your levy classification with ACC directly.
• Helpers is not your tax agent and this Agreement is not tax advice — talk to an accountant if unsure.

6. Insurance — what is and isn’t covered

• Helpers holds public liability insurance for the platform’s own operations. This does not cover your personal negligence while performing a job.
• You are described publicly as “ID-checked” and “vetted”, not “insured”, because your work as an individual contractor is not covered under Helpers’ platform policy.
• You’re encouraged to look into your own liability cover, particularly for higher-risk categories like gardening work involving power tools.

7. Conduct expectations

• Punctuality, clear communication with Clients, and presentation appropriate to entering someone’s home.
• No conduct that would put a Client — especially an elderly or vulnerable Client — at risk.
• Prompt reporting of any incident, near-miss, damage, or injury to Helpers as soon as reasonably possible.

8. Ratings and account standing

Your on-platform rating and completed-job history affect the jobs you’re shown. This history is a platform record and does not transfer if you leave the platform — another reason ongoing platform activity is worth more to you than a one-off cash arrangement with a Client.

9. Ending this Agreement

Either you or Helpers may end this Agreement at any time by notice. Obligations that already arose survive termination.

10. Governing law

This Agreement is governed by New Zealand law.