No hibernation for the Fair Work Ombudsman: Record penalties secured for wage non-compliance

By Lindsay Carroll
A close up of a referee's face as he blows a metal whistle with his left hand. The referee is wearing a black and white striped shirt and is standing on a grass sports field with a white goal post.

The pandemic hasn’t hindered the Fair Work Ombudsman’s (the FWO) efforts to investigate and prosecute wage non-compliance in the retail and fast food sectors. The FWO has recently secured record penalties against companies that have underpaid their workers and failed to satisfy their recordkeeping obligations. In May, following prosecution by the FWO, the Federal Court…

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Individuals facing tougher penalties for wage non-compliance

By Sophie Goodall
A torso shot of a man in a grey blazer, light blue collared dress shirt and a blue stripy tie holding up a red rectangle card.

With the Corporations Amendment (Strengthening Protections for Employee Entitlements) Act 2018 (Cth) (the Amendment Act) taking effect last month, now is an apt time to reflect on how officers of a company are subject to hefty penalties for failing to pay employee entitlements adequately when they fall due. The Amendment Act demonstrates stronger policy objectives behind the…

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