A woman's claims for $13,930 in lost wages for work done on her ex-partner's father's dairy farm has been dismissed by the Employment Relations Authority.
Identified only as LA by the authority, the woman claimed she was employed at the dairy farm for two seasons, 2015 and 2016, for calf rearing.
The farm owner, named as RB, denied ever employing her and claimed the work she did was part of the "family" who all pitched in during a period of time when his wife was sick and after her death.
When LA moved onto the property in 2012, she had been in a relationship with RB's son, and she and her then partner resided rent-free in an accommodation on the farm.
The authority also heard from RB's two daughters who were also adamant there was no employment relationship, and noted that LA was treated as a member of the family as she was their brother's partner.