The Fair Work Ombudsman has launched a special program to audit 1,000 private workplaces across Australia to ensure employers have adopted the basic rights to which their employees are entitled.
Acting Fair Work Ombudsman, Kristen Hannah (pictured) said the industries and areas of focus selected for the campaign had been informed by the analysis of data obtained from the Fair Work Ombudsman’s intelligence reports, including its anonymous reports, which had identified hotspots of concern.
“The Workplace Basics campaign will see Fair Work Inspectors assist businesses in accessing and navigating the wide range of free resources available, to help them meet their obligations to pay workers correctly and follow recordkeeping and payslip laws,” Ms Hannah said.
“Inspectors will also be checking the time and wage records of randomly selected businesses across a wide range of industries, with a focus given to sectors where large numbers of vulnerable workers, such as casuals, migrants and students, are employed.”
She said that among the areas of focus would be the fast food, restaurant and café sectors, in addition to others such as retail, security and manufacturing.
Ms Hannah said businesses within service networks and part of labour supply chains would also be examined.
“Successive campaigns conducted by the Fair Work Ombudsman are finding that too many businesses were getting the basics wrong,” she said.
“Failures to pay correct base hourly, penalty and overtime rates and inadequate or nonexistent recordkeeping and payslips are some of the breaches we consistently see from employers.”
Ms Hannah said if a business could not get the basic requirements right, there would be a whole host of problems down the track for the workers and also the employer.
“Businesses need to appreciate the campaign will not only have a strong audit and education focus, but the Fair Work Ombudsman will use its compliance and enforcement powers where required,” she said.
