Employers are being urged to act in good faith when it comes to looking after their employees during the coronavirus lockdown period.
The plea comes after reports of some essential companies not paying staff correctly and withholding their wage subsidy scheme.
Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner Saunoamaali'i Dr Karanina Sumeo told TVNZ1's Breakfast this morning most employers were doing the right thing, but there had been concerns, particularly around redundancies.
"People aren't clear about how those are issued out, why them?" Dr Sumeo said.
"If you are a disabled worker, if you an are an older worker, if you're a woman, in some circumstances, there's a fear that you might be discriminated against.
"So what we've called for is good will in good times and bad times, but now especially this time.
"We need to exercise good will to our workers and also we need to support them. This is a time when our essential workers - cleaners, caregivers, transport and security - in those sectors there's a heavy concentration of women, a heavy concentration of Māori and Pacific workers - our low paid workers."
Dr Sumeo said it was good for those who belonged to a union because if there was ever a time to have that added support it was now.
She said those in low paid jobs were desperate for work, but it means that if they are working in places like a supermarket their lives are at stake amid the outbreak.
"If we think about who's at work, they are already vulnerable," she said, talking about raising the living wage and closing the ethnic pay gap.
"Let's pay attention to these people now."
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