Inspectorate checking employers' compliance with minimum employment standards
The Labour Inspectorate has paid a visit to dozens of businesses in the Bay of Islands as part of an extensive operation to ensure employers' compliance with minimum employment standards.
The operation, called Operation Orzo, began last Monday and included surprise visits in Kerikeri, Paihia, Russell, and nearby suburbs including Haruru, Opua, and Waipapa.
A total of 58 retail and hospitality businesses have been visited by inspectors, who interviewed almost 100 workers about their employment conditions.
David Milne, the Labour Inspectorate's Compliance Manager for the Northern Region, said the operation seeks to ensure that employers are compliant with the following:
"Enforcement options will be considered where clear breaches of minimum employment standards are found," Milne said in a statement. "At this stage, we will not be providing any updates about what transgressions we may have found until such time as all the data collected has been assessed."
Another goal of Operation Orzo is to increase the Inspectorate's visibility and engagement with the public. According to Milne, the overall response from employers and the public to the visits has been positive.
"People even approached our inspectors on the street and were supportive of the work they were doing," the compliance manager said.
He added that inspectors educated business owners and their employees about their rights and responsibilities regarding employment standards.
"Education is an important part of what we do, and where breaches are found to be minor and unintentional, our inspectors are happy to work with employers and employees to educate or resolve complaints or other issues," Milne said.
Operation Orzo is one of the operations that the Inspectorate is undertaking or planning to take this year. Aside from retail and hospitality businesses, the Inspectorate also wants to check compliance in the construction, horticulture, viticulture, dairy, and security sectors.
