The Australian operations of Domino's Pizza Enterprises have been hit with almost $11 million in costs that include a "nationwide industrial relations review", after scrutiny in recent years from the Fair Work Ombudsman.
ACCI has called on the federal government to fund 50 additional FWO inspectors to address the "serious problem" of underpayments, while also recommending an increase in the FWC's budget to hasten agreement approvals.
The Federal Circuit Court has fined a former 7-Eleven operator more than $154,000 for using a cash-back scheme to circumvent a biometric payroll system introduced by head office to stamp out underpayments.
A small coach company that voluntarily repaid two drivers almost $44,000 after admitting underpaying them has been penalised a total of $168,300, despite a judge finding the breaches were a result of "clumsiness and inadvertence" rather than deliberate.
A culture of "defiant non-compliance" has emerged in high-risk sectors of the economy who pay "black market rates", according to former Fair Work Ombudsman, Natalie James.
The push to criminalise so-called "wage theft" by employers might be a less effective deterrent than an increased number of civil prosecutions, according to a new academic paper.
Report confirms FWO needs our help: McManus; Watson has status of judge, but isn't one for tax purposes: AAT; Axe 12% target, commission PC to assess super adequacy, says report.
A new body should be established outside the FWO to exclusively address underpayments to temporary visa holders, argue the authors of a report which found that less than 2% of more than 2000 migrant workers surveyed successfully recouped all their unpaid wages through existing channels.
The Fair Work Ombudsman has begun the first proceedings using tougher new provisions relating to providing false and misleading documents during an investigation, Senate Estimates hearings have been told this week.
