BizDojo ex-staffer settles after ‘ransom’ claims

Co-working space provider BizDojo has finalised a settlement with a former employee who tried to dissolve its business.

Former BizDojo Auckland community manager Emma Ashley applied to liquidate BizDojo in March after it was bought by co-working space multinational company IWG in February.

She said BizDojo directors ‘‘bullied’’ her and five Auckland colleagues to sign agreements, waiving their contracted right to three months’ pay in the wake of redundancy.

They were made redundant with one day’s notice from BizDojo’s Auckland subsidiary in December, while it entered voluntary administration.

It was later liquidated by the Auckland Council’s Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development arm, the owner of the Auckland waterfront building that housed BizDojo’s co-working space, owing $341,000 in unpaid rent.

All the employees at that site, except Ashley, signed the waiver, accepting one month’s pay and owed holiday pay instead.

BizDojo held the employees’ pay ‘‘ransom’’ until they signed it, Ashley said. Her application to liquidate the company was dismissed at the High Court at Auckland yesterday.

BizDojo director Lachlan Sloan said this was because the hearing was no longer necessary.

A settlement had been made with Ashley, he said. He would not disclose details of the settlement, citing confidentiality.

Last month, Sloan said attempts to discuss the situation with Ashley in person had been declined. Ashley said at the time that discussions with BizDojo had become futile.

BizDojo has four remaining co-working spaces in Auckland, two in Wellington and one in Christchurch. It will open a Queenstown site in January.

Ashley and her legal representatives were contacted for comment.