61 Former Gloriavale Members file for $39.4 million in the Employment Relations Authority
As TV One News 28 August 2026 stated,
“It’s shaping up to be New Zealand’s biggest employment battle.
Watch the Clip here: https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/08/26/forced-labour-former-gloriavale-members-file-40m-employment-claim/
Quick Summary
26 August 2026 was a significant step forward for Gloriavale leavers to claim wage arrears and personal grievance claims from their time working in the community, with 61 former members filing claims with the Employment Relations Authority (ERA).
This action comes off the back of lengthy (and ongoing) Courage and Pilgrim proceedings which have had success in the Employment Court. (Read some of the history here). Recently Judge Inglis judgment affirmed leavers claims were within time, but she ruled the Labour Inspectorate was out-of-time to help recover wage arrears on behalf of the plaintiffs from Gloriavale (and out of time for the Labour Inspectorate to fine Gloriavale).
This ruling threw up some questions around how the non-plaintiff leavers might be assisted by the Labour Inspectorate in their recovery efforts. Lack of clarity and a ticking bomb left leavers looking for a new pathway to settle their claims.
Consequently leavers have taken matters into their own hands, and have engaged the successful Henry/Patterson combo to take them through the ERA route to claim wage arrears and personal grievances.
What’s the basis of the claim
On the basis of Employment Court judgments, leavers consider themselves to have been employees of Gloriavale. They are making use of the ERA pathway to claim backpay of wages, holiday pay entitlements, along with personal grievance claims including injury and abuse that occurred while at work.
The claim alleges exploitation, forced labour, unsafe working conditions, abuse and more.
More details about the claim here: RNZ: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/1133404/modern-day-slavery-gloriavale-leavers-file-40m-lost-wages-and-entitlements-claim-against-overseeing-shepherd
Are they out of time?
Some claimants have passed the usual 6-year statute of limitations. They are requesting the ERA waive the time bar for exceptional circumstances.
These circumstances include, for many, being born into a group where they had no capacity to have knowledge of the breaches of law, no ability to make complaints through formal channels, and not recognising the parameters of employment until some time after they left. For many they did not realise they were employees until the judgments in 2022/2023.
What does an ERA process entail?
ERA process usually involves one complainant. It is novel to have a joint claim. The ERA will need to consider how they will manage this process.
It usually entails the claim being served to the other side (ie Gloriavale) where they have 20 working days to respond. Will Gloriavale agree with the claim or not?
The next step usually involves mediation. It’s unclear how this will be managed, but one solution could be selecting a few claimants to represent the larger group.
If there is no agreement, the ERA will move to a hearing. This is not a public court setting. It’s a more informal setting where each leaver, their lawyer, and the other side, along with an ERA panel, will have a round table hearing to help establish the facts.
Then ERA will then rule and determine the sum to be paid. (Keeping in mind that being awarded a sum, and actually receiving the money are two entirely different things).
Gloriavale will then have the option to challenge the ruling. This would include removing it to the Employment Court. Gloriavale would need to decide if it wants to challenge just one small aspect of the case, or blow it into a full challenge.
Regardless of this, the compensation orders are still able to be enforced during this period.
What is the motivation of Gloriavale Leavers?
More news coverage:
Stuff: https://www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/361068791/61-former-gloriavale-workers-file-almost-40m-claim-years-unpaid-labour