A Taranaki dairy farmer who failed to pay workers minimum wage or holiday pay has been ordered to fork out more than $87,000.
An investigation by the Labour Inspectorate found Allan Marx of Vintage Farm Trust had seriously breached employment law.
This was complicated by the fact that he had also not kept records of employment agreements or employee hours. Labour Inspectorate regional manager Natalie Gardiner said the case was a timely reminder for employers.
"It is unacceptable for employers to take advantage of employees by failing to meet basic legal requirements like paying the minimum wage or keeping proper records," Gardiner said.
"With the discussion around arrears ongoing, this case perfectly illustrates the risk farmers take on when they don't keep sufficient employment records," she said.