Singaporean Working‑Holidayers Stuck in a New Zealand Pay Puzzle
Four friends from Singapore, who had packed their bags for a six‑month working‑holiday in sunny New Zealand, found themselves in a frustrating unpaid‑work saga that’s now part of a larger probe by authorities.
The Original Gig
- 2017, September 19: Four women – Amy Lim, Aw Qiyin, Gwendaline Ang, and Poh Toon Ling – meet with Gautam Rajan Kapur after seeing a job posting on a Kiwi online board.
- Kapur promised them a five‑day stint pruning kiwifruit trees at an orchard in Pukehina, about 100 km from Auckland.
- No paperwork ever. Later, when the ladies requested a written contract, Kapur obliged with generic templates that oddly asked them to list “Sunrise Hort” as the employer.
Where the Money Went Missing
Fast forward two years, and each of the four women is still owed a hefty NZ$535 (roughly S$476). That’s what the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) ordered Kapur to pay last August. And in a separate ruling last month, Kapur was slapped with a NZ$18,000 penalty for multiple breaches – 12 % of which will go straight to the unpaid workers.
Why Did Kapur Dodge the Basics?
- He never supplied the women with legally compliant employment agreements.
- When Ministry of Labour asked for work records, he handed over nothing.
- He tried to shield himself by creating a “sham” company, essentially a clandestine play on an illegal immigrant’s business.
Voices From the Front Lines
Ms Lim, now a 32‑year‑old customer‑service pro, is the outspoken voice of the group:
- “He kept saying the payment would be delayed and that there’d be deductions because of ‘bad’ work. In reality, the excuses had nothing to do with us,” she told The New Paper.
- “We didn’t want this to happen to anybody else. On a working holiday, people often think people are there temporarily, and it’s easier to ignore complaints,” she added.
Labour Authorities Speak Out
London‑style labour inspectorate Natalie Gardiner highlighted the top priority of protecting young, vulnerable workers:
“Those employees were first‑timers in New Zealand. It’s not just their money that’s at stake but the very integrity of the Kiwi labour market.”
What This Means for Future Working‑Holidayers
Every year, roughly 200 Singaporeans aged 18‑30 can travel on a working‑holiday visa and slide into the Kiwi job market for half a year. This case is a cue: double‑check your contracts, keep copies, and don’t let a wanderlust blazon hide questionable practices.
Bottom Line
Fast‑track clarity: if you’re a working‑holidayer in New Zealand, keep your paperwork tight, ask for written agreements, and, if things go south, report to the ERA. Let’s keep the Kiwi woodlands and the Singaporean dreams both working, not just the first side of the books.
— Report originally from The New Paper (Permission required for reproduction).
