The process seemed thorough but responses came at the wrong time entirely
A company's AI-driven restructure has cost nearly $27,000 after telling a redundant employee she had to apply for alternative roles.
The Employment Relations Authority delivered its decision on January 30, 2026, finding that Landcorp Farming Limited's redundancy process was unjustified despite appearing to tick all the usual boxes.
Aiga Faamanu Roache, known as Nu, had worked as the Accounts Payable Team Leader at Pamu since 2016. After the company invested in automation technology using AI robots to handle manual processing, management proposed a restructure in May 2024. The plan seemed simple enough: eliminate Roache's team leader position, have the three AP officers report directly to the Chief Financial Controller, and create a new Transaction Specialist role to work across both teams.
When Roache returned from annual leave on June 18, 2024, she was called into a meeting where managers presented the proposal through a PowerPoint slide deck. She had until June 24, 2024 to provide feedback. The entire consultation period lasted just six days.
The first serious problem emerged immediately. At that meeting, Roache was told she would need to apply for redeployment to alternative positions. The HR Business Partner later acknowledged hearing "something to that effect being said to Ms Roache during the meeting." Under the employment agreement, suitable alternative positions should have been offered...
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