Two in five Australian SMEs admit to payroll errors, as wage theft criminalisation looms
Almost 40% of small Australian businesses admit to making a payroll error in the past two years, data from workplace management platform Rippling shows, exposing the compliance challenges facing local businesses.
New Fair Work Ombudsman prepared to seek criminal wage theft penalties if legislation changes
Australia's new Fair Work Ombudsman says she is prepared to enforce criminal wage theft charges against dodgy employers, firing an early warning shot to businesses deliberately flouting the law.
Perth sushi cafe operators slugged $193,000 for falsifying wage documents and presenting them to Fair Work inspectors
Federal Circuit and Family Court found the former operators of a Perth cafe falsified pay slips, provided Fair Work with doctored wage documents and warned staff against speaking up.
Brisbane sushi restaurant fined $355,000 for underpaying staff and falsifying records
Delishesco, which operates Moga Izakaya & Sushi, copped a $305,000 fine while its sole director, majority shareholder and restaurant manager was personally fined $50,000.
Fair Work pursues warehousing firm for allegedly underpaying 30 migrant workers more than $360,000
Winit Australia allegedly underpaid 30 Sydney-based workers by more than $360,000 between July 2017 and June 2018.
How researchers are using data science to map wage theft
What started as a few underpayment cases revealed by the Australian media in 2015 has turned into an epidemic of wage theft.
Hello Juice outlets fined $276,000 after underpaying teenagers
Hello Juice outlets in Victoria have been fined for stealing wages from 27 workers, 10 of whom were under the age of 18.
Instead of a ‘wage watchdog’, Victorian business owners need education and support
The Vic government’s decision to introduce a ‘wage watchdog’, in addition to the existing Fair Work Ombudsman, is poorly-timed.
Labour hire company fined $22,440 for underpaying 80 vulnerable workers at Queensland mushroom farm
The Fair Work Ombudsman's four-year battle over wage theft at a Queensland mushroom farm has come to an anti-climactic end, with a labour hire company fined $22,440.
Federal Court fines Melbourne restaurateur $200,000 for underpaying vulnerable workers
The owner of two Melbourne restaurants and his accountant have been fined $200,000 in the latest underpayment case to emerge from the hospitality sector.
Sushi outlets fined record $891,000 in latest wage theft ruling to rock the fast food industry
The Federal Court has sought to make an example of Hero Sushi outlets caught underpaying workers more than $700,000 in 2016, imposing record penalties.
Five ways to avoid a wage theft scandal of your own
Most businesses do not set out to deliberately short change their staff, but fall victim to misinterpreting the complex Australian awards structure.
