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Toil & Trouble
5 mins to read

Who are you really working for?

An Employment Court case involving former Youtap chief technology officer Mike Johnston shows the pitfalls in working for offshore subsidiaries.

WATCH: Legal Vision senior associate Jessica Prebble speaks with Fiona Rotherham.

Key points
  • What’s at stake:  The real nature of the employment relationship can be difficult to discern for employees working for a subsidiary of a New Zealand parent company.
  • The background: Former Youtap chief technology officer Michael Johnston shifted to Singapore in 2015 to work for the Kiwi company’s new subsidiary YMMA but, after his dismissal with only one month’s notice, he took at personal grievance claim, saying he worked for Youtap. 
  • The main players: Youtap, YMMA, the Employment Court, the Employment Relations Authority.

The Employment Court has overturned an earlier decision about who former Youtap chief technology officer Mike Johnston actually worked for.

The New Zealand financial services software company, which offers digital banking platforms and digital wallet solutions, was founded in 2007 by Chris Jones.

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Fiona Rotherham Tue, 01 Jul 2025
Contact the Writer: fiona@nbr.co.nz
News tip? Question? Typo? Let us know: editor@nbr.co.nz
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Key points
  • What’s at stake:  The real nature of the employment relationship can be difficult to discern for employees working for a subsidiary of a New Zealand parent company.
  • The background: Former Youtap chief technology officer Michael Johnston shifted to Singapore in 2015 to work for the Kiwi company’s new subsidiary YMMA but, after his dismissal with only one month’s notice, he took at personal grievance claim, saying he worked for Youtap. 
  • The main players: Youtap, YMMA, the Employment Court, the Employment Relations Authority.
Who are you really working for?
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