This Month
University wage theft tops $159m: union tally
The majority of universities have now been involved in short-changing some 100,000 staff, with unions saying there is a crisis of accountability in the sector.
- David Marin-Guzman
Landmark wage theft case collapses
The Victorian government’s wage cop has dropped its first criminal case over underpayments, signalling the potential end of the state’s wage theft jurisdiction.
- David Marin-Guzman
November
Billabong exposed as penalty rates dodger
One of Australia’s best-known surf labels has been forced to pay hundreds of retail staff penalty rates for the first time in eight years as the retail union targets a new wave of zombie deals.
- David Marin-Guzman
October
Aldi accused of ‘deliberate’ wage theft worth $150m
The supermarket group is facing a class action for allegedly underpaying more than 20,000 current and former workers more than $150 million.
- David Marin-Guzman
Year of reckoning: how sexual assault caught up with Australia’s universities
The departure of Catriona Jackson, chief executive of Universities Australia, could provide a circuit breaker for the under-fire sector. But will it be enough?
- Julie Hare
New workplace watchdog backs ‘collaborative’ approach to wage theft
Anna Booth, the newly appointed Fair Work Ombudsman, says her tendency is to be “cooperative and collaborative”, potentially signalling a shift in strategy that could better engage business.
- David Marin-Guzman
September
UNSW ‘knowingly’ kept poor pay records in face of underpayments
The workplace watchdog has launched court action against the university over payroll practices so inadequate it could not work out if casual academics were underpaid.
- David Marin-Guzman
Court fight could leave business facing ‘overlapping’ wage theft laws
State Labor governments are arguing their wage theft laws can co-exist with federal underpayment laws, risking the prospect of multiple criminal regimes for business.
- David Marin-Guzman
CBA could face $13m fine for underpayments
The workplace watchdog is calling for the bank to be fined $12.8 million for “knowingly” short-changing thousands of workers. But that would still be less than the total underpayment.
- David Marin-Guzman
CBA should suffer highest penalty for $16m underpayment, court told
The Fair Work Ombudsman says maximum fines for the Commonwealth Bank ‘knowingly’ underpaying thousands of staff is necessary to deter other well-resourced employers.
- David Marin-Guzman
Spotless faces criminal charges over $17k in leave underpayments
Victoria’s wage theft agency filed the charges, saying the amount of underpayment “never tells the full story”.
- David Marin-Guzman
August
CBA to backpay staff ‘$3m’ for missing tea breaks
Commonwealth Bank will backpay thousands of branch staff after failing to pay them 10-minute tea breaks over at least six years.
- David Marin-Guzman
Woolworths faces criminal prosecution over leave underpayments
The retail giant is facing more than 1000 criminal charges for allegedly failing to pay long service entitlements. But some employers have warned of overreach.
- David Marin-Guzman
July
Baker’s Delight head office taken to court over $1.25m+ underpayments
The workplace watchdog says the baked goods chain knew its franchisee stores were underpaying staff but failed to stop them.
- Updated
- David Marin-Guzman
Aldi blocks access to 13,000 pay records in ‘wage theft’ row
As the government considers greater union powers to uncover wage theft, the retail union has been blocked from accessing the records of almost 13,000 Aldi workers.
- David Marin-Guzman
June
Crown back pays staff $1.2 million after classifying them ‘award free’
The casino company has also had to pay $350,000 in contrition for underpaying hundreds of workers including chefs, receptionists, hairdressers and concierges.
- David Marin-Guzman
- Exclusive
- Interest rates
RBA admits it underpaid 1173 staff
A review by embattled consulting firm PwC found the central bank underpaid almost 1200 staff $1.15 million over seven years.
- Michael Read
Suncorp pays back staff $32m after eight years of underpayments
Suncorp has agreed to pay a $520,000 “contrition payment” after failing to pay staff basic entitlements since 2014.
- Updated
- David Marin-Guzman
Fair Work Ombudsman slams BHP over $430m underpayment
FWO Sandra Parker says she is “troubled” by BHP’s massive underpayment errors, four years after she put its board and other ASX100 companies on notice.
- David Marin-Guzman
May
Chemist Warehouse facing $10m bill claim in underpayment case
Chemist Warehouse franchisees owned by the brand’s billionaire co-founders are facing a test case that could pave the way for widespread underpayment claims across the country.
- David Marin-Guzman
