Indian restaurant chain fined $66,000

A popular Auckland Indian restaurant chain has been told to pay up $66,000 for failing to keep proper employment records.

But it's not just an administrative mistake - it means staff are almost certainly missing out on their entitlements, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment says.

In a decision released on Wednesday, the Employment Relations Authority told 11 Masala restaurants to cough up $6000 each for not providing employment records to MBIE.

The companies failed to provide wage and time records, holiday and leave records and employment agreements for about 100 staff.

A large number of the staff were recent migrants which put them in a vulnerable position, ERA member Vicki Campbell said in her decision.

In May last year, inspectors visited eight of the restaurants and issued notices requesting the employment records for current staff and some previous employees.

ERA filed proceedings last year against 11 restaurants after they all missed deadlines.

MBIE's labour inspectorate David Milne said failure to maintain records wasn't a technical omission.

"If employers don't keep required records it is almost certain that their employees are not getting their entitlements."

The Stanmore Bay branch of the restaurant chain came under fire earlier this year when it said only girls could apply for its front-of-house positions.