Fair Work Infoline: 13 13 94
Media Release
20 Oct 2010
Strong pass rate for South-West and Great
Southern employers
More than 80 per cent of employers in WA’s South-West and Great Southern
regions are complying with federal workplace laws, a Fair Work Ombudsman
campaign has found.
Fair Work inspectors targeted employers across a range of industries as part of an
education and compliance campaign.
After scrutinising the employment records of 128 employers, inspectors found
that 106, or 83 per cent, were compliant.
Of the 22 with contraventions, about half were record-keeping and/or pay slip
breaches and the remainder were employers who had underpaid 120 of their
employees a total of $67,237.
Fair Work Ombudsman Executive Director Michael Campbell says the employees
were underpaid minimum hourly rates, penalty rates and allowances.
“Inspectors found the underpayments were largely the result of employers failing
to round start and finish times correctly when using electronic time cards and
payments based on rosters rather than hours actually worked,” he said.
Five of 28 Albany employers recorded contraventions and four of 27 Bunbury
employers were found to have breaches.
A breakdown of the underpayments is as follows:
Four Albany employers underpaid 39 employees $24,137,
Two Australind employers underpaid 39 employees $13,622,
Two Bunbury employers underpaid two employees $10,218,
One Manjimup employer underpaid five employees $7180,
One Bremer Bay employer underpaid four employees $5366, and
One Picton employer underpaid five employees $5355.
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.
“It is important that both employers and employees in regional areas are aware
they can turn to the Fair Work Ombudsman for advice and assistance.”
Mr Campbell says the Fair Work Ombudsman has a range of user-friendly
… 2
Fair Work Infoline: 13 13 94
2
Resources for small business include some new industry specific webpages with
information tailored to particular sectors, 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.
The Fair Work Ombudsman also has Best Practice Guides which have been
developed to assist employers make better use of the provisions of the Fair Work
Act and better understand other aspects of workplace laws.
Mr Campbell says the guides cover work and family, consultation and co-
operation, individual flexibility arrangements, employing young workers, gender
pay equity, small business, workplace privacy, managing underperformance,
effective dispute resolution and improving workplace productivity.
Media inquiries:
Ryan Pedler, Senior Media Adviser. (03) 9954 2561, 0411 430 902.
ryan.pedler@fwo.gov.au
NEWS 
