Fair Work Annual Report FY 18/19
On 20th September, the Fair Work Ombudsman published in their 18 / 19 Annual Report that they have taken a firm but fair approach to non-compliance. They acknowledge that employer mistakes happen, however the onus is on the employer to comply with workplace laws and to immediately rectify any issues that arise. Last financial year, Fair Work:
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- Recovered > $40 million for nearly 18,000 workers;
- Conducted over 2,800 workplace audits nationally targeting sectors at high risk of non-compliance.
- Recovered > $1 million in unpaid wages through 274 compliance notices
- The Courts imposed penalties of $4.4 million as a result of litigation action which included $383,616 in combined penalties against the operators of three sushi outlets in regional NSW, for underpaying vulnerable employees over $70,000.
- Recovered > $1 million in unpaid wages for over 2500 horticulture workers
- Nearly $30 million was returned to underpaid workers through assisted dispute resolution
The Fair Work Infoline answered more than 380,000 calls and their online channels and resources continue to grow in popularity with nearly 18 million visits to their website.
Fair Work 2019 – 2020 priorities
The priority industries or issues the FWO will focus on are:
- Fast food, restaurants and cafes
- Horticulture and the harvest trail
- Supply chain risks
- Franchisors
- Sham contracting.
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