Central Coast workers back-paid $27,000

Five workers on the Central Coast of NSW have been back-paid a total of $27,500 following recent intervention by the Fair Work Ombudsman.

The largest recovery was $10,600 for two hospitality workers at The Entrance.

The employees, a male and female in their 40s, lodged complaints with the Fair Work Ombudsman after they were underpaid meal break allowances between 2009 and 2011.

After a Fair Work inspector contacted the business and explained its obligations, the workers were reimbursed all money owed without the need for further action against the employer.

Other recent recoveries include:

• $5900 for a truck driver in the Tuggerah area underpaid the minimum hourly rate and meal allowances,
• $5700 for an Erina labourer underpaid redundancy entitlements, and
• $5300 for an automotive worker at Tuggerah underpaid penalty rates and annual leave entitlements.

Fair Work Ombudsman Nicholas Wilson says when Fair Work inspectors identify a problem and contact a business, most employers check their records, realise a problem has occurred and fix it immediately.

“It’s a fact that some businesses inadvertently breach workplace laws. When we find mistakes, we’re here to assist and give practical advice to employers on how to voluntarily fix them,” says Mr Wilson.

“The four businesses involved have now corrected the errors that led to the underpayments and put processes in place to ensure they will not happen again.”

Mr Wilson says the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Assisted Voluntary Resolution team is now achieving resolution of about half its referrals within the first month.

Workers or employers seeking support should get in touch with the Fair Work Ombudsman via the website - www.fairwork.gov.au - or call the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94. A free interpreter service is available on 13 14 50.

Source: Fair Work Ombudsman, 25 June 2012