Migrant Worker Vishal Satija Fights Employer Over Unpaid Loan & Wages
A Wellington employer has twice been ordered to repay a migrant worker who loaned him thousands of dollars to keep his business afloat during the Covid-19 pandemic but has yet to pay the full amount, Stuff reports.
Vishal Satija, who worked for Epiphany Donuts Newtown Limited and Epiphany Donuts Waikanae Limited in 2020, lent his boss, Otto Azucena, $25,000 to help sustain the struggling donut business. Despite two Employment Relations Authority (ERA) orders and months of legal proceedings, Satija remains unpaid and is still seeking his wages.
In October 2024, the ERA found a binding settlement agreement between Satija and Azucena, ordering the employer to repay the loan and owed wages within 28 days. However, the payment was not made, Stuff reported.
Subsequently, on July 1, 2025, the ERA issued a compliance order requiring Azucena and his companies to make full payment within 14 days, including an additional $4,500 in legal costs and a $71.55 filing fee. This order also went unfulfilled.
Satija told Stuff he met Azucena at a community event in 2018 and was initially impressed by Azucena’s claims of running large businesses and serving on school boards, which made him hopeful for career growth.
Satija said he lent $10,000 before starting his employment and later gave a further $25,000 from his savings during the Covid pandemic after being told it would help open another branch and secure his job.
However, Satija said neither the business expansion nor his employment materialised as promised. He claimed he was owed $20,000 in unpaid wages and leave entitlements. Despite this, he continued working due to scarce job opportunities and feeling trapped after lending money. He described feeling “stuck” and “tortured,” taking up Uber driving at night to survive and support his family in India.
Satija resigned in December 2020 after realising neither his salary nor the loan would be repaid. He said he had a written agreement and bank records that helped him pursue legal action. To date, he said, Azucena had repaid only $10,100.
Satija arrived in New Zealand on a student visa in 2016, became a resident in 2022, and filed an ERA claim against Azucena and his wife.
Azucena told Stuff that Satija approached him in early 2020 offering a $10,000 loan to start a franchise, and was made a business development manager. He said government subsidies helped him continue paying Satija during the initial lockdown, and that Satija voluntarily lent more money to keep the shops open when business struggled.
Azucena said there was an understanding in July 2020 that Satija’s employment was paused until business conditions improved. He claimed Satija did not officially request salary payments until December 2020, the month he resigned and demanded back pay from July to December along with the loan, despite not working during that period.
Azucena said Satija listed only 15 companies visited over five months. He described Satija’s role as involving visits to companies and cafes to seek prospective clients for donut sales.
Azucena said he attempted to negotiate repayment plans, but Satija demanded full payment immediately. He said he was financially strained, having even used his wife’s KiwiSaver funds to repay $10,000. Azucena described financial hardship, noting that his wife worked limited hours as a nurse and they were renting their home, often relying on Afterpay for groceries.
He added that they had been expecting a $125,000 payment from another person, which had been delayed for four years, contributing to their inability to repay Satija. Azucena denied exploiting Satija.
Satija’s advocate, Sunny Sehgal from Migrants Advocate, told Stuff the process had been emotionally and financially draining for Satija. Sehgal said they had hoped the October 2024 ERA determination would bring closure, but the subsequent need to seek a compliance order prolonged the matter, adding further stress to their client.
A Wellington employer has twice been ordered to repay a migrant worker who loaned him thousands of dollars to keep his business afloat during the Covid-19 pandemic but has yet to pay the full amount, Stuff reports.
Vishal Satija, who worked for Epiphany Donuts Newtown Limited and Epiphany Donuts Waikanae Limited in 2020, lent his boss, Otto Azucena, $25,000 to help sustain the struggling donut business. Despite two Employment Relations Authority (ERA) orders and months of legal proceedings, Satija remains unpaid and is still seeking his wages.
In October 2024, the ERA found a binding settlement agreement between Satija and Azucena, ordering the employer to repay the loan and owed wages within 28 days. However, the payment was not made, Stuff reported.
Subsequently, on July 1, 2025, the ERA issued a compliance order requiring Azucena and his companies to make full payment within 14 days, including an additional $4,500 in legal costs and a $71.55 filing fee. This order also went unfulfilled.
Satija told Stuff he met Azucena at a community event in 2018 and was initially impressed by Azucena’s claims of running large businesses and serving on school boards, which made him hopeful for career growth.
Satija said he lent $10,000 before starting his employment and later gave a further $25,000 from his savings during the Covid pandemic after being told it would help open another branch and secure his job.
However, Satija said neither the business expansion nor his employment materialised as promised. He claimed he was owed $20,000 in unpaid wages and leave entitlements. Despite this, he continued working due to scarce job opportunities and feeling trapped after lending money. He described feeling “stuck” and “tortured,” taking up Uber driving at night to survive and support his family in India.
Satija resigned in December 2020 after realising neither his salary nor the loan would be repaid. He said he had a written agreement and bank records that helped him pursue legal action. To date, he said, Azucena had repaid only $10,100.
Satija arrived in New Zealand on a student visa in 2016, became a resident in 2022, and filed an ERA claim against Azucena and his wife.
Azucena told Stuff that Satija approached him in early 2020 offering a $10,000 loan to start a franchise, and was made a business development manager. He said government subsidies helped him continue paying Satija during the initial lockdown, and that Satija voluntarily lent more money to keep the shops open when business struggled.
Azucena said there was an understanding in July 2020 that Satija’s employment was paused until business conditions improved. He claimed Satija did not officially request salary payments until December 2020, the month he resigned and demanded back pay from July to December along with the loan, despite not working during that period.
Azucena said Satija listed only 15 companies visited over five months. He described Satija’s role as involving visits to companies and cafes to seek prospective clients for donut sales.
Azucena said he attempted to negotiate repayment plans, but Satija demanded full payment immediately. He said he was financially strained, having even used his wife’s KiwiSaver funds to repay $10,000. Azucena described financial hardship, noting that his wife worked limited hours as a nurse and they were renting their home, often relying on Afterpay for groceries.
He added that they had been expecting a $125,000 payment from another person, which had been delayed for four years, contributing to their inability to repay Satija. Azucena denied exploiting Satija.
Satija’s advocate, Sunny Sehgal from Migrants Advocate, told Stuff the process had been emotionally and financially draining for Satija. Sehgal said they had hoped the October 2024 ERA determination would bring closure, but the subsequent need to seek a compliance order prolonged the matter, adding further stress to their client.
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