A former Christchurch restaurant owner has been banned from employing staff for three years over persistent breaches of employment law.
The man was the former owner of the Watershed Bar and Restaurant. Photo: Google
It is the first time a banning order has been imposed by the Employment Court, something that was made possible by a 2016 law change.
The Employment Relations Authority earlier fined Gordon Freeman, the former owner of Watershed Bar and Restaurant and Sequoia 88, for refusing to pay staff their outstanding holiday pay unless they gave six weeks notice of their intention to resign.
Despite the fine, he continued to include the clause in his employment contracts.
Labour Inspectorate national manager Stu Lumsden said Freeman had cynically abused the trust placed in employers and the ban should serve as a clear warning to any others who were not taking their obligations seriously.
The court also ordered Freeman and his businesses to pay $20,000 in penalties.
