An Auckland liquor store and its owner have been fined for not paying 'vulnerable' migrant workers for all the hours they worked.
Four employees of SS & PK Jador Limited, trading as Clevedon Road Liquor in Papakura, had close to $100,000 repaid after the company accepted minimum wage, premium and holiday arrears were owed.
The employer had kept two sets of records — one to show the real/actual hours worked and another set to show hours worked as per the employment agreement.
The Labour Inspectorate said the breaches were intentional, and had the hallmarks of exploitation due to the immigration status of the vulnerable workers, a stance the Employment Relations Authority agreed with.
"These offences are a case of blatant disregard for minimum employment standards," Loua Ward, regional manager for the Labour Inspectorate, said.
SS & PK Jador Limited was fined $50,000 for breaching minimum employment standards. Its director — Satnam Singh Jador — is liable for $20,000.
The penalties resulted from the company’s failure to provide the minimum wage for all hours worked, charging and receiving premiums, holiday and leave breaches, and record keeping breaches.
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