Snowfields targeted by Fair Work Ombudsman

The Fair Work Ombudsman is targeting the Victorian and NSW snowfields next week as part of a new campaign to ensure employees are receiving their correct wages.

Fair Work Inspectors will conduct face-to-face audits of 80 businesses, including about 50 at Mt Buller, Falls Creek, Mt Hotham, Dinner Plains and Mt Baw Baw in Victoria, and about 30 at Jindabyne, Thredbo and Perisher in NSW.

The snowfields will face further checks over the next two years when Inspectors visit in 2014 and 2015 as part of a concerted three-year campaign to ensure businesses are complying with workplace laws.

Fair Work Inspectors will check that employers are paying staff correctly, maintaining appropriate records and providing employees with pay slips.

Visits will not only focus on businesses associated with ski resorts. Any business operating in the snowfields regions could be part of the campaign.

Fair Work Ombudsman, Natalie James, said the education and compliance campaign aimed to ensure the many transient snowfields workers are receiving their full entitlements.

“Many snowfields employees are young or foreign workers, such as working holiday makers, who can be vulnerable if they’re not fully aware of their entitlements, so it’s important we ensure they are being paid correctly,” Ms James said.

Ms James said the campaign also provides a great opportunity for employers to improve their understanding of workplace laws and ensure they have processes in place to comply with their workplace obligations from season to season.

“Where Inspectors identify issues such as underpayments to staff, we will work with individual employers to help them voluntarily rectify issues and put processes in place to ensure they get it right in the future,” Ms James said.

“A key role of the Fair Work Ombudsman is to help employers understand and meet their obligations.”

Inspectors can steer employers to the range of free resources available at www.fairwork.gov.au such as templates for pay slips and time-and-wages sheets as well as tools for determining correct rates of pay for employees, such as PayCheck Plus.

Employers and workers seeking assistance should visit the website or contact the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94, or for those who need an interpreter, on 13 14 50.

Source:  Fair Work Ombudsman - 22 August 2013