Fair Work Infoline: 13 13 94
Media Release
26 Oct 2010
Kimberley campaign results released
The Fair Work Ombudsman today released the results of random audits of
businesses in Western Australia’s Kimberley Region.
Fair Work inspectors targeted employers across a range of industries for face-to-
face visits as part of an education and compliance campaign.
They visited 61 employers to provide them with educative materials on workplace
laws and to scrutinise their books.
Fair Work Ombudsman Executive Director Michael Campbell says 30 were found
to be contravening workplace laws.
Mr Campbell says 18 businesses had record-keeping and/or payslip breaches,
while a further 12 employers had underpaid 227 employees a total of $101,349.
He says the employees were underpaid minimum hourly rates, penalty rates,
allowances and overtime rates.
A breakdown of the underpayments is as follows:
Five Kununurra employers underpaid 208 employees $73,664,
Four Halls Creek employers underpaid 15 employees $20,618,
Two Derby employers underpaid three employees $4916, and
One Wyndham employer underpaid an employee $2151.
Mr Campbell says it is pleasing that all employers co-operated with inspectors and
voluntarily reimbursed their staff.
“Inspectors assisted employers to put processes in place to ensure these
breaches are not repeated in future,” he said.
Mr Campbell says the Kimberley campaign has helped increase awareness among
both employers and employees of the role of the Fair Work Ombudsman.
The Fair Work Ombudsman has a range of user-friendly resources on its website
Resources for small business include a number of industry specific web pages,
payslip and record-keeping templates, a self-audit checklist, template letters and
fact sheets on dozens of topics including leave, industrial action, public holidays,
enterprise bargaining, gender pay equality and family-friendly workplaces.
As well as Online resources, the Fair Work Ombudsman has advisers available to
speak with employers and workers with questions on its Fair Work Infoline on 13
13 94 from 8am-6pm weekdays.
Media inquiries: Ryan Pedler, 0411 430 902, ryan.pedler@fwo.gov.au
NEWS 
