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.
COSBOA, Tony Burke face off in campaign to split contentious IR reforms
COSBOA is locked in a staredown with Employment Minister Tony Burke, as the federal government refuses to split off elements of its highly contentious Closing the Loopholes industrial relations reform package.
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.
Annual wage theft toll hits $850 million as criminalisation bill looms
Wage theft is costing Australian workers $850 million a year, according to a damning new report from the McKell Institute.
$4 million wage theft fines, potential prison time: Government canvases views on IR crackdown
Businesses found to have severely underpaid workers could face fines in excess of $4 million, according to a plan floated by the federal government as it coordinates its next slate of industrial relations reforms.
IR reforms: Businesses and government to thrash out casual work definitions and wage theft at top-level meeting
Potential changes to the definition of casual employment will be a top item on the agenda in Canberra today, as Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Tony Burke meets with industry representatives.
Wage theft is rampant in Australia. So why hasn’t it been criminalised yet?
It is clear wage theft and other forms of non-compliance with minimum labour standards are major problems in Australia.
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.
Former Lovisa employees allege underpayment and “traumatic” work culture
Australian jewellery retailer Lovisa could face a class action suit from former employees over allegations of underpayment and mistreatment.
What the Albanese government can do to end wage ‘theft’
"The complexity of the awards that outline minimum pay rates and conditions of employment result in many employers unknowingly underpaying their workers," writes Pitcher Partners' Sudha Viswanathan.
Migrant workers are coming back to Australia, but the system needs fixing to curb rampant exploitation
The COVID-19 years taught us that Australia depends on migration, but it has a dark legacy of entrenched wage theft among migrant workers.
Pay-as-you-feel restaurant Lentil as Anything may have illegally traded for three years: Report
The Lentil as Anything group went into administration in February of this year, leaving behind staff owed more than $369,000 in unpaid wages.
