Intervention by the Fair Work Ombudsman to assist employees and employers to resolve workplace disputes has resulted in more than $100,000 back-pay for 41 workers across multiple industries in Perth.
As part of the blitz, a casual cook in Inglewood was underpaid his minimum entitlements under the Restaurant Industry Award 2010 to the tune of $6895.
Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James says small business owners must ensure they abide by the minimum wage rates and other working conditions applicable to their business.
“The Fair Work Ombudsman is here to assist employers if they are unsure about their obligations in relation to pay, entitlements and record keeping,” says James.
“In each of these matters a lack of understanding of workplace obligations led to employers breaching the law by not paying workers their legal entitlements.”
“Mistakes like this can add up over time and leave an employer with a hefty bill for back-payments they were not budgeting for.”
James says when errors are identified her agency assists employers to rectify the issues as quickly as possible and put processes in place to ensure mistakes are not repeated.
“The businesses in these matters co-operated with Inspectors, rectified the errors identified, and volunteered to take measures to ensure that underpayments do not occur in future.”
“Our aim is to foster a culture of compliance within Australia’s workplaces by educating employers about their obligations and assisting them to take steps to ensure that they are met.”
James will speak about workplace compliance at the upcoming Restaurant Leader’s Summit on Monday 31 July.