A Christchurch dairy and its owners have been fined $85,000 after an employee was underpaid more than $103,000 over four years, and forced to work up to 92 hours a week.
The store - Indy Supa of Shirley - has been ordered by the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) to pay $61,000 in fines, while owners Kavita and Mayurkumar Tailor have also been ordered to pay a further $24,000.
An investigation by the Inspectorate found that between March 2013 and February 2017, the staff member often worked 92 hours per week, was paid below minimum wage or the correct amount of annual leave and holiday pay, and accurate time and leave records were not being kept.
The employee told the Inspectorate he was physically and mentally strained, that he worked these hours without breaks, couldn’t use the washroom and struggled to sleep.
Labour Inspectorate regional manager Jeanie Borsboom told TVNZ’s Breakfast: "This is one of the most serious cases we've seen… what’s not unusual about it is the level some employers will go to exploit people and hide what they’re doing.
"We see far too much of this through our complaint process."
Borsboom also says there are still many vulnerable out there being exploited.
‘We encourage them to come forward."
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