HR lady

11/12/2025

🚩 Do you feel like you’re walking on eggshells at work?

If you leave meetings feeling confused, blamed, or like you’re "losing it," you might be dealing with a toxic manager. The problem is, these behaviours are often hard to prove.

That’s why I created "The Dirty Dozen."

In my latest video, I break down the 12 most common tactics toxic managers use, including:
🔹 The Gaslight: "I never said that."
🔹 The Moving Goalpost: Setting vague expectations and then blaming you for failing.
🔹 The Credit Steal: Taking praise for your work while criticising you in private.

Don't let them erode your confidence. Name the behaviour so you can deal with it.

📺 Watch the full breakdown here: https://youtu.be/h3B7SGmjvsw

📝 Download the Free Diagnostic Worksheet: https://offrecord.co.nz/stop-feeling-crazy/

29/11/2018

http://hrlady.co.nz/2018/11/29/staff-taking-unauthorised-leave/

Cheeky staff taking unauthorised holiday can be a sticky problem. Find out how to deal with it and avoid bad HR.

07/11/2018

http://hrlady.co.nz/2018/11/02/mouthy-employee-screwed-me/

My mouthy employee lied about my business to my biggest supplier, and it really screwed by business.

10/10/2016

A food court in the Northcote Shopping Centre (Food City Limited) will pay $164,397 for their serious breaches of employment law, following an investigation by the MBIE Labour Inspectorate.

The payment is made up of $126,897.93 in arrears to five Chinese workers who were employed as cleaners at the food court and $37,500 penalty imposed by the Employment Relations Authority.

Employment breaches uncovered included a failure to pay minimum wage and holiday pay, or keep written employment agreements, wage or time records. The inspector found evidence of long running non-compliance.

The five employees worked from 10am to 10pm at the food court, six days a week, however they were only paid the minimum wage for 40 of these 60 hours. They were not allowed sick leave, and some had to stop working due to their failing health. All five employees had permanent residence.

The employer agreed to pay the arrears, however there were concerns that the company would be put into liquidation. The company claimed poverty...

To counter this, the Inspectorate put a claim into the ERA to have the director made personally liable for the payment of arrears.

This quickly changed things, and Food City Limited then paid out the $126,897 in arrears owed to the five workers.

09/09/2016

Male employer’s “cruel” remarks to female administrator cost him dearly!

In Christchurch, on 24 June a business owner was slapped with a heavy pay-out at the Employment Relations Authority because he acted maliciously and made a deliberately cruel remark, designed to cause his administrator maximum hurt. Among many other cruel and unsubstantiated accusation, he called her names, the B-word and a thief. Then he abruptly fired her. Worst is that later he claimed he didn’t fire her, and that she was the one swearing at him.

The Authority found that the manner in which he accused her of dishonesty and incompetence amounted to bullying. The Authority noted that while an employer is allowed to alert an employee to its concerns of dishonesty and incompetency, the employer must listen to the employee’s reply and consider it in good faith.

Good thing she kept all his text messages!

In the Authority’s view, the employer’s comments caused her stress and upset which meant that she was treated unfairly.
The Authority awarded her $18,252 in compensation for hurt and humiliation. This is a higher than normal award, and reflects how poor this employer’s treatment really was. She also received $16,900 for lost wages.

07/09/2016

http://hrlady.co.nz/tuesday-tips/make-words-mean-something/

Whether you are a seasoned veteran on the hunt for your next adventure or a brand new employee fresh to the sport of job hunting, you will need to have a CV

09/07/2016

http://hrlady.co.nz/expensive-business-blunders/19-year-old-immigrant-paid-4-per-hour/

Mr Hardeep brought a claim before the Employment Relations Authority (ERA), via a Labour Inspector, that he was owed wages … Continue reading

05/07/2016

http://hrlady.co.nz/uncategorized/rock-hard-place/

“My boss just doesn’t hear me when I tell them it’s not possible.” “My team is mad at me because … Continue reading