Vineyard contractor ordered to pay more than $73k

Marlborough-based business Precise Contracting Limited found to have breached employment law. Photo / 123RF

A vineyard labour contractor has been ordered to pay more than $73,000 after breaching employment laws.

An investigation by a Labour Inspectorate found Marlborough-based Precise Contracting Limited had failed to pay 83 employees minimum wage, correct holiday pay, and had not keep proper employment records.

The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) ordered the company to pay $73,081.70 - a $40,000 penalty on top of the $33,081.70 in penalties and back pay for its workers.

Labour Inspectorate regional manager Kevin Finnegan said it identified multiple employment practice breaches.

"Providing your employees all their minimum entitlements, such as at least a minimum wage for every hour worked and holiday pay, are the basics every employer in New Zealand must follow," Finnegan said.

"Just because you find employees leaving your business 'frustrating' does not entitle you to penalise them by withholding their last pay."

According to the Inspectorate, the company's director Rhonda Burridge would regularly alter employee timesheets to match supervisor records when there were conflicts - particularly when the supervisor recorded fewer hours.

Burridge was also found to have added in 45-minute unpaid lunch breaks, even when employees had recorded shorter breaks.

"Altering your employees' timesheets without their consent, as was common practice for Ms Burridge, is not acceptable," Finnegan said.

"Having accurate employment records is important for protecting employers and employees, both for ensuring all hours are paid for, and helping to avoid disputes," he said.

"New Zealand has a reputation as a fair and equitable country, and it's important this is maintained."

Finnegan said that for a country with such a big stake in exports, it was in the best interest of the viticulture industry to take active steps to make sure employment obligations were being met in vineyards.