About us

VERI-Mi aims to combat migrant exploitation in New Zealand. Our website and app will help you understand your rights, collect proof of underpayment of wages and other breaches, and connect you with free legal help.

Our Vision

To stop migrant exploitation in New Zealand by empowering workers to stand up for their rights

How will we do this?

Help you understand your rights

Help you collect evidence of employment breaches

Connect you with free legal help

Help you obtain compensation and hold your employer accountable

Victims

Exploitation

Rights

Information

Migrants

VERI-Mi stands for "Verification"

With VERI-Mi you can verify your rights, your work hours and wages

Trusted and Independent

VERI-Mi (pronounced Very-Mee) is a registered charitable trust, independent of the government.

Our trustees are experts in migrant exploitation advocacy, human rights, and the hospitality sector.

VERI-Mi stands for “Verification” – the app verifies information about your employment to support claims against exploitative employers.

Our website and app help you to:

01

Understand your rights

This website and the VERI-Mi app provide you with information, tools and resources about your employment and other rights

02

Collect evidence

Know what evidence to collect to support your case. Use the VERI-Mi app to track your workplace location, hours and wages

03

Get free legal help

Talk to a Community Lawyer anywhere in New Zealand

04

Verify your claims and any payments owing to you

Work with your lawyer to assess how strong your case is

05

Know what to expect

Understand the process and your path to justice

06

Feel more in control and confident

We know there is a lot going on, but we are here to help you

Who is behind VERI-Mi?

Dhilum Nightingale

Barrister & Founder of VERI-Mi

VERI-Mi was established in 2023 by Dhilum Nightingale, a Wellington barrister committed to ending migrant exploitation in New Zealand.

Dhilum is a barrister at Kate Sheppard Chambers with more than 25 years of legal experience of Sri Lanka heritage. She is passionate about supporting vulnerable people in ethnic and migrant communities. Her work through Community Law Wellington & Hutt Valley has given her a deep understanding of the challenges many migrants face, including as victim survivors of workplace exploitation and family violence.

The resources available through the VERI-Mi website and app draw on Dhilum’s extensive experience advocating for migrant workers. This includes assisting with personal grievances and wage arrears claims, attending mediations, providing immigration advice, negotiating settlements with employers, and representing workers in the Employment Relations Authority and Employment Court. Much of this work is undertaken on a pro bono basis through Community Law Wellington & Hutt Valley. Dhilum also supports employment and immigration advocates across Community Law Centres throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. In addition, she makes referrals through Te Ara Ture, the pro bono legal advice referral service operated by Community Law Centres Aotearoa.

Our Trustees

Brent Burmester

Brent is a Senior Lecturer in International Business at the University of Auckland Business School. He is a member and co-founder of the Centre for Research on Modern Slavery, which focuses on global supply chain slavery and migrant exploitation in New Zealand.

Marisa Bidois

Marisa Bidois (Ngāti Ranginui) is the former Chief Executive of the Restaurant Association of New Zealand. Prior to that, Marisa worked as an employment relations adviser and professional development manager, and also worked in a range of hospitality roles. Marisa has a variety of leadership roles, including with the Auckland Regional Skills Leadership Group.

Greg Lloyd

Greg has been a member of the VERI-Mi board since 2025 and is thrilled to be part of an organisation committed to raising awareness of and combatting migrant exploitation. Greg is a barrister based in the Wairarapa and specialises in employment law. Greg has been practicing on his own account since 2017, with most of his legal career spent working in the Trade Union movement. Access to justice is important to Greg and he focuses on providing legal service to workers who might not otherwise have access to legal representation. Greg is an approved legal aid provider and works with both the Wellington/Lower Hutt and Wairarapa Community Law Centres and is the supervising lawyer for the latter.