Toowoomba Inspectors Recover $700k For Underpaid Workers

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27th October 2010, 03:00pm - Views: 1057





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Fair Work Infoline: 13 13 94 





Media Release





    27 Oct 2010



Toowoomba inspectors recover $700,000 for

underpaid workers in South-West


The Fair Work Ombudsman’s Toowoomba regional office recovered more than

$700,000 in back-pay for 665 workers last financial year.


The amount forms part of a total of $4.25 million recouped for 3749 underpaid

Queensland employees in 2009-10.


Fair Work inspectors discovered the underpayments through a combination of

routine audits of businesses and investigations into workers’ complaints.


Recent significant recoveries in the South-West include:



$60,000 for four Gatton workers in the waste management industry

underpaid the minimum hourly rate and penalty rates,


$14,400 for a worker in the Toowoomba fitness industry underpaid the

minimum hourly rate and termination entitlements,


$13,100 for a Toowoomba manager underpaid accrued annual leave and

long service leave,


$7300 for a Gatton accountant not paid annual leave or long service

leave,


$5600 for a driver at a Warwick transport company underpaid penalty

rates,


$5100 for a Warwick delivery driver underpaid the minimum hourly rate

and not paid for all hours worked,


$5100 for a Charleville bar attendant underpaid overtime and penalty

rates,


$4900 for a Western Downs baker underpaid annual leave entitlements,


$2900 for a Toowoomba food and beverage attendant underpaid the

minimum hourly rate, and


$2700 for Toowoomba a truck driver underpaid the hourly rate, penalty

rates and annual leave entitlements. 


Fair Work Ombudsman Executive Director Michael Campbell says the recoveries

highlight the need for employers to understand their obligations to staff, including

applicable wages rates and conditions.


“In most cases, the Fair Work Ombudsman does not prosecute employers for

inadvertent breaches of workplace law,” Mr Campbell said.  






“We have a flexible, fair approach and our preference is always to work with

employers to educate them and help them voluntarily rectify any non-compliance

issues we identify.”





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Fair Work Infoline: 13 13 94 


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The Fair Work Ombudsman has a number of tools and user-friendly resources on

its website - www.fairwork.gov.au – to assist employees and employers to

check minimum rates of pay. 











Small to medium-sized businesses without human resources staff can also ensure

they are better equipped when hiring, managing and dismissing employees by

using free template employment documentation available online.


The ‘Industries’ section on the Fair Work Ombudsman’s website provides

information specifically tailored for employers and workers in the retail, cleaning,

clerical, hair and beauty, security and horticulture industries.


A series of Best Practice Guides have also been developed by the Fair Work

Ombudsman to assist employers make better use of the provisions of the Fair

Work Act and better understand other aspects of workplace laws.


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 in bargaining.


Employers or employees seeking assistance or further information can also

contact the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94 from 8am-6pm weekdays. For

translations, call 13 14 50.


The Toowoomba-based inspectors cover a large part of South-West Queensland

including the Lockyer Valley, Brisbane Valley, Warwick and Dalby regions as well

as all areas from Roma south and west to the NT border.


Note: We are unable to provide additional information on the case listed above.






Media inquiries: 


Richard Honey, Media Adviser, 0457 924 146, richard.honey@fwo.gov.au






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