Unpaid work payouts may bankrupt businesses - Labour Inspectorate

The Minister of Workplace Relations, Iain Lees-Galloway, says he's troubled by reports of employees being short-changed for pre-work meetings or doing the evening cash-up at some of the country's biggest stores. Last week the Employment Court ordered Smiths City to back-pay staff six years' worth of lost wages - a payout that could stretch into seven figures. In the wake of that, employees at other stores are coming forward. Iain Lees-Galloway says he's worried. Stu Lumsden is the national manager of the Labour Inspectorate. He says payouts like this could put some businesses under.