An auto valet in South Auckland has been ordered to pay $241,451.66 in penalties and arrears after an investigation found serious breaches of employment law.
Loua Ward from the Labour Inspectorate said that “For six years or more Manukau Auto Valet Limited deprived some 221 employees of their most basic employment entitlements, failing to pay at least a minimum wage, or holiday pay to employees leaving the company,” she added that “The Labour Inspectorate takes these kinds of breaches very seriously as not only did the employer breach the rights of the people working for them, they also attempted to gain an unfair advantage over their law abiding competitors.”
Manukau Auto Valet Limited director and major shareholder Dharmesh Kumar pleaded ignorance, however the ERA agreed with the Labour Inspectorate’s position that this was not a mitigating factor. This was reinforced by ERA authority member Vicky Campbell saying it is the obligation of all employers to understand and adhere to the law.
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