Golden Spring Takeaways, where employees worked long hours, seven days a week. Photo / Google
Businesses and their owners will be significantly penalised for breaching minimum employment standards. That's the message the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is sending out.
A Napier restaurant owner has been ordered to pay $30,000 out of her own pocket after two of her migrant employees worked long hours,
seven days a week, with no days off.
The Employment Relations Authority determination comes after an investigation by the Labour Inspectorate found that owner Huichan Xu, a sole trader of Golden Spring Takeaway, breached 10 of its standards.
She failed to retain copies of the individual employment agreements, failed to keep wage and time records, and failed to keep holiday and leave records as required by law.
Labour Inspectorate national manager Stu Lumsden said Xu initially denied that the pair were employed by her and later provided manufactured records developed once the investigation had begun.
"This is a reminder that migrant workers are a particularly vulnerable section of the workforce, as they're less likely to be aware of their rights and entitlements and can be concerned regarding their visa status."
