By RNZ
More than 100,000 health workers are owed about half a billion dollars for payroll breaches, but they may have to wait up to two years to get paid.
District Health Boards have revealed they owe $550-650 million to cover mistakes made since 2010 in leave and shift allowance pay under the Holidays Act.
The bill dwarfs the Holidays Act payouts already made or being made by police, Corrections, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and other public and private sector employers.
Arrears have cost police more than $45m since late 2015, and Corrections $16m.