Thames Four Square penalised after making two migrant workers pay $120K to secure jobs

Author: Herald Reporters,
Publish Date: Mon, 27 Jul 2026, 1:45pm

A Thames Four Square and its owner have been ordered to pay $44,000 in penalties after making two migrant workers pay $60,000 each to secure their jobs.

The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) said the supermarket effectively used the premiums to pay the employees’ own wages.

A Dharni Enterprises Ltd, trading as Four Square Martina, was penalised $32,000, while the company’s sole director Jaswinder Singh was ordered to pay a $12,000 penalty.

The workers will each receive $1000 of the penalty paid by the company, while the money paid for the premiums was refunded to the workers by the company before the ERA hearing.

The two workers had family ties to Singh and entered New Zealand on Accredited Employer Work Visas (AEWV) in July and August 2023.

The money was paid in India in seven instalments.

They only worked for the business briefly before leaving because Singh felt they had misrepresented their ability with English during the recruitment process.

The Labour Inspectorate began an investigation after the workers complained about the premiums in September 2023.

Natalie Gardiner, the Labour Inspectorate’s migrant exploitation manager, said demanding money from migrant workers in return for employment is a serious breach of employment standards.

“There is absolutely no place in New Zealand for employers seeking payment in exchange for jobs,” she said.

“Migrant workers have the same employment rights and protections as all other workers, regardless of where they come from.

“These unlawful premiums placed significant financial pressure on the workers and their families and undermined the integrity of New Zealand’s immigration and employment systems.”

Gardiner said the repayment of the premiums only occurred after the Labour Inspectorate became involved.

Katriona Ikenasio, Labour Inspectorate investigations manager (Northern), said they had a longstanding history of engaging with Four Square franchisor Foodstuffs NZ, and the wider supermarket sector to promote understanding of employment standards and support sustainable compliance.

“Sector engagement does not replace accountability; it helps build awareness of obligations while ensuring employers remain responsible for meeting them.

“Enforcement outcomes like this one provide valuable opportunities for employers and industry bodies to reflect on their own systems and strengthen workplace practices.”