The Fair Work Ombudsman has conducted surprise inspections of northern Perth fast food outlets, restaurants and cafes to verify if the workers are getting the right pay and entitlements.
About 20 businesses have been targeted for inspection, including those located in the suburbs of Wanneroo and Joondalup and Fair Work Inspectors have spoken with business owners, managers and employees on the ground, and requesting records.
Businesses were selected based on FWO intelligence including prior history of alleged non-compliance issues, employee tip-offs, or employment of vulnerable workers such as visa holders or young people. 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; inadequate or false record-keeping and pay slips; and cashback schemes, in which employees are made to unlawfully pay back some of their wages, among other concerns.
Fair Work Ombudsman Anna Booth attended some of the inspections and said protecting vulnerable workers and improving compliance in the fast food, restaurant and café sector are the agency’s utmost priorities..
“Inspectors are on the ground in Perth this week speaking with employees and holding employers to account if they are not following workplace laws,” Booth said “We won’t hesitate to take enforcement action if needed, and employers should be aware that some penalties have recently increased. These inspections are part of a national food precincts program where we’ve often found that low-cost dining comes at the expense of workers’ lawful wages.
“This sector engages many young workers and visa holders who can be vulnerable, as they are often unaware of their workplace rights or unwilling to speak up,” Booth added. “We urge workers with concerns about wages and entitlements to reach out to us, including anonymously, if preferred.”
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 hospitality outlets in other parts of Melbourne as well those in Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Hobart, Gold Coast, Perth, Newcastle and Canberra.
