Good Friday and Easter Monday are public holidays which means people who normally work on these days are entitled to a paid day off.
If employees must work, they are entitled to time-and-a-half for hours worked and an alternative holiday if the day is an otherwise working day for the employee.
Easter Sunday is not a public holiday so employees are not entitled to a paid day off or time-and-a-half for hours worked.
Last Easter, The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment obtained 30 convictions for breaches of the Shop Trading Hours Repeal Act 1990.
It carried out visits to 64 shops around the country over the weekend, based on complaints received, those who were warned or prosecuted the previous year, and those overtly advertising that they would open.
Of the shops visited by Labour Inspectors, 41 were found to be open in breach of the law.
The Shop Trading Hours Act Repeal Act also stipulates that most shops have to shut their doors on Christmas Day and Anzac Day until 1:00pm.