A woman has taken her parents to court to get years of unpaid wages.
The woman sought nearly $130,000 compensation for working seven days a week in her parents' Canterbury supermarket without pay, but settled her case on the day it was due to be heard by the Employment Relations Authority in Christchurch.
Authority member James Chrichton suppressed the name of the woman, her parents, the location of the supermarket and details of the settlement.
The parents declined to comment on the dispute, but their daughter said outside court that she felt years of anxiety wash away as the case was settled.
"It's been worth it," she said. "It just feels like the stress is gone. "I knew I had to do this. I felt unfairly treated. They didn't want to pay me a cent but finally they had to.
"It was all about control. ... I wanted to go flatting, but they wouldn't let me, so they prevented me from doing so."
The woman said the settlement was also a victory for her brother, who had been required to work part-time at their parents' supermarket, but instead of fighting he had turned his back on his parents.
In the woman's signed statement, obtained by The Press, she claimed she worked without pay for eight years, starting off after school for two years and then full-time for another six years. She claimed she worked every day until her last year, when she was given one Sunday in three off.
She decreased her claim to take into account the full board at the family home and more than $12,000 she received from marketing companies.
