Labour Inspectorate regional manager southern Jeanie Borsboom says the hospitality industry is one targeted by the inspectorate to stop employment breaches.

An endemic culture of long hours, low pay and no breaks. Hospitality appears to be Christchurch's worst sector for breaching labour laws.

The Labour Inspectorate took enforcement action 44 times against businesses in the accommodation and food services industry between January 2016 and October 12 this year.

Next up was the construction industry, which was stung for breaching minimum employment standards in the city 25 times over the same period.

STUFF Figures released by the Labour Inspectorate under the Official Information Act show what sectors in Christchurch have received the most enforcement actions.

The figures pertaining to the food and accommodation sector, released by the inspectorate under the Official Information Act (OIA), came as no surprise for Unite Union national secretary Gerard Hehir.

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"We're called almost every other day from people working in restaurants and hotels where they have serious problems with employers not complying with minimum standards."

CARY MONTEATH A complaint from a Wendy's Hornby worker resulted in a determination the company had failed to give all its staff a day-in-lieu if they worked a public holiday on a day they would otherwise be working.

Hehir said there was an endemic culture in the hospitality sector, where business owners often came up working long, unpaid hours with no breaks.

"Then they expect their workers to do the same, even though it's illegal."

Breaches uncovered by the inspectorate over the period included a failure to pay minium wage and holiday pay, or keep proper employment records.

GEORGE HEARD/STUFF Indian Heaven was issued an infringement notice by the Labour Inspectorate for failing to keep holiday records.

A recent example is Indian Heaven, which on September 4 was issued with an infringement notice – including a $10,000 fee – for not keeping holiday records for 10 employees across two locations, including its Dallington restaurant.

Employees reported working considerably more hours than they were paid for, pay slips were not provided, holiday and leave records were not kept, and they appeared to get the same pay regardless of working public holidays.

The company declined to comment.

On December 4, which fell outside the period covered by the OIA, Upper Riccarton restaurant Daphne's was issued an infringement notice – including a $9000 fee – for failing to keep holiday records for nine employees.

While all employees appeared to have been paid their holiday entitlements, the business had no records for holidays and leave, a Labour Inspectorate spokesman said.

The business owner, who did not want her name used, said she had learned from the mistake and taken steps to make sure the business was compliant in future, including changing to a new payroll system.

GEORGE HEARD/STUFF The owner of Daphne's, in Upper Riccarton, says it is important employers understand New Zealand employment law after the business received an infringement notice for failing to keep holiday records.

Labour Inspectorate regional manager southern Jeanie Borsboom said the inspectorate did not target only small to medium-sized businesses.

She cited the recent Employment Relations Authority determination against Wendco, the company behind the 23 Wendy's restaurants in New Zealand.

The determination, released on November 15, found Wendco had failed to to provide all its employees with a day-in-lieu if they worked a public holiday that would otherwise be a working day.

It followed a Labour Inspectorate investigation triggered by complaints from a staff member at the Wendy's in Hornby, Christchurch, and led to the inspectorate releasing advice on how to comply with the Holidays Act.

Borsboom said the hospitality sector was targeted by the inspectorate due to several risk factors, including high numbers of migrant and youth workers, and a casualised workforce with high turnover.

"With all of those issues, you're going to get issues with holiday pay and you will get some exploitation coming through as well."

Hospitality New Zealand South Island area manager Amy McLellan-Minty said the organisation did not condone any businesses that wilfully flouted employment law or failed to look after staff.

The mixed nature of the hospitality workforce, rostered shifts and non-standard hours meant it could become very complicated for small owner-operated businesses, she said.

"When they find out they are doing something incorrectly they are generally very quick to remedy it."

After hospitality and construction, the retail sector was subject to the next highest number of enforcement actions in Christchurch – 19 – followed by agriculture, forestry and fishery with 15.

There were 136 investigations in the city in 2016, compared to just 43 in the year to October 12. Borsboom said this was likely due to a focus outside Christchurch.

Across both years there were 50 improvement notices issued to employers compelling them to fix any breaches uncovered during an investigation.

A total of 23 infringement notices were also issued, which gave inspectors the power to issue $1000 fees to employers who failed to keep wage, time and holiday records or retain copies of employment agreements. Up to $20,000 of fees for breaches could be issued in a three-month period.