Docklands businesses short-change staff

Two Docklands businesses have been found to be underpaying staff in a random auditing campaign by the Fair Work Ombudsman.

As part of a rolling auditing campaign focused on Victorian shopping centres and industrial parks, the Fair Work Ombudsman last October randomly selected 18 retail and hospitality business in Docklands and Southbank.

Of the 18 businesses, 11 of which were located in Docklands, four businesses were picked up on their record-keeping and payslip practices and another two were found to be underpaying staff.

Fair Work Ombudsman executive director, Michael Campbell, said about $14,600 was being recovered for 11 employees at two Docklands businesses after inspectors found they’d been underpaid their minimum hourly rate and penalty rates for evening and weekend shifts.

A further investigation remains ongoing for another Docklands business, but inspectors are confident that they will recover $10,200 for the four employees involved.

A spokesperson for the Fair Work Ombudsman said the matters would not be taken further and the business would not be publicly identified as they ha co-operated and agreed to promptly rectify the underpayments.

The spokesperson said follow-up audits or additional audits may be conducted in Docklands in the future.

“We are mindful that the retail and hospitality industries employ large numbers of young people and low-paid workers who may be vulnerable if they are not fully aware of their workplace rights. It is important that we ensure these workers are receiving their full entitlements,” the spokesperson said.