Fair Work Ombudsman is an independent statutory body of the Australian Government stating that underpaid employees at large businesses and universities in Australia have received about half a billion dollars in compensation in the previous year.
Back wages of around AU $509 million (US $323.5 million) for 251,475 underpaid employees mostly came from large companies and academic employers, who paid approximately AU $317 million (US$201.5 million) to more than 160,000 underpaid employees for the fiscal year 2022-2023.
The statutory agency also collected a total of AU $40.3 million (US$25.6 million) from 15 corporations, including David Jones, Politix, Crown Melbourne and Perth, Charles Sturt University, the University of Newcastle, and the University of Technology Sydney.
“The Fair Work Ombudsman has created a firmer culture of accountability and an environment that expects Australia’s largest employers to prioritise compliance,” Anne Booth, the Fair Work Ombudsman of Australia, stated. “These efforts, including prioritising both the large corporates and university sectors, and combining stronger, targeted compliance and enforcement action across our work, have led to more wages returned to workers’ pockets.”
According to Booth, the Fair Work Ombudsman’s investigations send a strong message to companies in Australia to prioritise satisfying all lawful obligations of employees, including by enhancing payroll and governance and investing in advice, as reported by 9News.
