October 22, 2019
The Fair Work Ombudsman has recovered more than $40 million in underpaid wages to 18,000 employees during the past financial year.
The FWO’s 2018-19 Annual Report also reveals that inspectors conducted more than 2800 workplace audits and resolved more than 29,000 workplace disputes between workers and businesses.
The wages recovered were the highest in the regulator’s history.
“I am extremely proud of the agency’s work resolving employment disputes throughout the year, which has helped return wages to workers and kept employment relationships intact,” Ombudsman Sandra Parker said.
“In line with our priorities, we will continue our important work educating employers and employees, targeting high-risk industries, protecting vulnerable workers and improving compliance across Australian workplaces in the year ahead.
“We urge employers to actively check they are paying their staff correctly and access our free resources for help. We will take enforcement action against employers who break the law.”
The FWO also secured more than $4.4 million in court-ordered penalties.
More than 50 per cent of the litigations filed involved businesses in the fast food, restaurants and cafe sector.
Inspectors also issued $479,900 in on-the-spot fines for pay slip and record-keeping breaches.
Anonymous reports to the FWO increased, with more than 16,000 reports received, which included more than 1200 reports made in languages other than English.
