A Christchurch restaurant owner has been fined more than $20,000 for failing to pay staff wages.
Gordon Freeman, the sole director and shareholder of G Freeman Holdings Limited, ran the Redwood Hotel and Sequoia 88 Restaurant until earlier this year.
An investigation by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) found he failed to pay four former employees unpaid wages, sick and holiday pay.
He has been ordered to pay $22,000 in penalties and arrears.
The ministry said the ruling sent a clear message to employers that failure to comply with minimum labour standards would not be tolerated.