Fair Work Inspectors are making surprise visits to food outlets in Brisbane’s south this week to check workers are getting the right pay and entitlements.
Businesses across the Sunnybank region including in Sunnybank, Macgregor, Robertson and Sunnybank Hills face investigations.
Fair Work Inspectors are speaking with business owners, managers and employees on the ground, and requesting records.
The inspections follow intelligence from a range of sources, including anonymous reports, indicating potential underpayments of employees in the food precincts in the area. Most of the eateries are ‘cheap eats’ venues.
Inspectors are on alert for unlawfully low flat rates of pay; “off the books” employment arrangements; inadequate or missed breaks; non-payment of penalty rates and overtime rates; and inadequate or false record-keeping and pay slips, among other concerns.
The inspections are part of a national program that has recently recovered more than $680,000 in unpaid wages for workers in Melbourne’s inner south and inner west food precinct. It has previously targeted eateries in Melbourne’s Degraves Street and Hardware Lane, Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Hobart, Launceston, Darwin, the Gold Coast, Perth, Newcastle, south-east Melbourne, and most recently Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
Need help with HR?
Login to your BetterHR account to access the HR advice, tools and software you need. Or contact our HR Advice Hotline.
Not yet a subscriber?
Watch our explainer video | Compare our plans and pricing | Contact BetterHR to discuss your needs.
