Melbourne restaurant accused of JobKeeper rort and ignoring sexual harassment
Shocking claims have emerged against a restaurant in Melbourne’s north, with employees allegedly asked to repay JobKeeker wages and told to work while they waited for Covid test results.
The Leader newspaper came into possession of an email from the restaurant that suggests to an employee that JobKeeper money is paid by the company to the staff, for which the federal government then reimburses them.
Staff received an email in May 2020 telling them that if they have been paid $750 and are “ineligible”, they would need to refund the money to the restaurant, while some staff would need to repay “the balance.”
“If it had been denied we would have had to work and then pay everything back, giving them money for us working for free,” said an ex-employee.
A number of ex-staff of the restaurant have contacted The Leader with information of staff being underpaid, told to serve food that was rotting, along with complaints of sexual harassment.
“The owner caught me throwing a mouldy capsicum in the bin – she pulled it out and carved out the edible parts so it could be served,” said one ex-staffer.
The man, now 25, told Leader staff was forced to serve fish sauce on vegetarian salads.
In 2016 an ex-staff member received a text saying they would be required to work a three-hour unpaid trial shift to be eligible for a job.
Another staff member said she when she complained about persistent sexual harassment by a male chef she was told to “get over it” and told to expect such treatment as a woman in hospitality.
“He would stare at me all the time and tell other staff members that he liked ‘bigger girls’,” she said.
“I had to ask not to be put on shifts when he was working,” she said.
Irit Jackson, 8th February 2022
