Melody Cheng just wants the fight with her ex boss to be over.

A Rotorua woman who was fired after being accused of complaining about the company to Inland Revenue is still waiting for her $26,000 payout several months after winning her Employment Relations Authority case.

Mai Ying [Melody] Cheng started working at Richora Group, a mānuka honey exporter, in January last year and just weeks later she was fired without an investigation into the allegations her employer made about her complaining to IRD that the company was not paying wages nor taxes.

After firing her, Richora's co-director Jerry Li made derogatory comments about Cheng and her mental health in a forum on WeChat with at least 48 other business owners.

"They wanted to stop me from finding a job in the future," Cheng said.

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﻿Chen said the comments about her mental health took a toll on her wellbeing.

"I didn't do anything for them to not like me. I only asked for my pay," Cheng said.

TOM LEE/STUFF Melody Cheng's mental well being has been disrupted because of her experience with her boss.

Last month Richora lost its appeal against the ERA decision and was given 21 days to pay the outstanding money after it was ruled the dismissal of Cheng was unjustified.

"I'm still suffering. They are rich, they can afford legal fees, I can't. It's unfair for us.

"I believe in justice, I follow the rules, when someone doesn't I want to call them out."

Since the employment dispute Richora has posted photo of it donating to the Mental Health Foundation and has also sponsored the Tall Blacks basketball team.

Li has been contacted by Stuff for a response.

SUPPLIED Founding member of Massey University's Healthy Work Group professor Tim Bentley says workplace bullying can have a rippled effect on the entire organisation.

Chen said the irony of Richora supporting the foundation when it had made derogatory comments about her mental health left her in tears.

Employment lawyer David Traylor​ said the number of workplace bullying cases had risen in recent years as more people became aware of it.

Traylor said he had dealt with at least 20 bullying cases so far this year.

Worksafe defines workplace bullying as "repeated and unreasonable behaviour directed towards a worker, or a group of workers, that can lead to physical or psychological harm".

Cheng said she had ongoing psychology sessions and on some days was afraid to leave her home.

"I feel like humans out there are horrible and I want to hide at home.

"The bully is not just at that time, they stay with you forever," she said.

SUPPLIED Richora's co-director Jerry Li lost his ERA decision appeal and has been ordered to pay his former employee Melody Cheng for her unfair dismissal.

​Traylor said while most bigger businesses had systems in place to deal with workplace bullying complaints, it was harder for employees in small businesses or situations where the person they would report complaints to was the bully.

In such circumstances employees can take their matter to the board of directors, worksafe or the ERA with the help of an employment advocate.

Founding member of Massey University's Healthy Work Group professor Tim Bentley said workplace bullying can affect a business's operations.

"Bullying not only affects the target or the victim but its effects ripple out to the rest of the company. Just witnessing bullying can be damaging to an employees' well being," Bentley said.

"The end goal of bullying is the person leaves, hiring a new person is a big cost. Often those bullied are valuable employees and talent and the bully feels threatened or jealous of their capability at some level."

Investigations can also become expensive because of the time it requires, and the reputational damage can further affect the overall business, he said.

SUPPLIED Richora is a mānuka honey export business in Rotorua.

Bentley said it paid for businesses to have robust hiring processes and create an environment that did not promote bullying.

"Ensure the person is the right fit for the role. Often we see people who are great in their field, take up leadership roles but lack the people skills it requires."

Bentley said there were chronic and situational bullies. For the former, being a bully tends to be a trait they have relied on to get things done in the past, and the latter type were those who blamed stress or work pressures on bullying.

After Richora lost its appeal, Chen said she felt encouraged to move on and take further legal action if the company failed to comply to the ERA's orders.

Chen said she has been determined to win her case to inspire others.

"I know when you stand up for the right thing, you suffer as well. I have to remind myself I am brave," Cheng said.

"I want to win this case so there can be something positive out of this situation."