The Fair Work Ombudsman has made scant use of new powers it won three years ago to conduct compulsory interviews and to prosecute franchisors to help to protect vulnerable workers.
In a significant judgment closely examining the limits of "industrial activity", a full Federal Court led by Chief Justice James Allsop has overturned penalties imposed on two CFMMEU officials for leading a walk-out from a building site that had no separate toilet for a female worker.
A 61-year-old former economics professor has been fined $31,000 for underpaying two visa holders employed at a Korean grocery, a court finding he deliberately arranged for them to receive as little as $10 an hour.
An accountancy firm that created and gave the FWO false records covering up a massage parlour's underpayments must pay more per breach than the family-run employer, which has been fined about 10% of the penalties sought by the workplace watchdog.
The ACCC will argue a Federal Court judge mistakenly found Employsure advertising would not mislead businesses into thinking it is a government agency, in an appeal lodged this week.
In a significant general protections ruling, the Federal Court has today ordered an ASX-listed enterprise software company to pay more than $5.2 million in compensation, damages and penalties to a senior employee sacked after he made bullying complaints.
An employer and director have been hit with near-maximum fines totalling $60,000 in recognition of the seriousness of the "contrived" dismissal of an OHS representative who raised safety concerns with the workplace regulator.
The Melbourne Magistrates Court has fined the organiser of a fashion event for failing to obtain work permits for more than 100 children aged 18 months to 14 years.
In a decision highlighting the perils of using Facebook as a managerial tool, the Federal Court has found a major McDonald's operator posted threatening, coercive messages that misrepresented workers' rights to water, toilet breaks and sick leave.
