The National Australia Bank is facing criminal charges that it failed to pay long service leave entitlements to casual employees in Victoria, as the State's wage theft watchdog continues its pursuit of big employers.
In a ruling reinforcing the wisdom of heeding FWO compliance notices, an online directory and its director have despite pleas they would be "crippled" been fined more than $18,000 for failing to rectify underpayments on time.
The Fair Work Ombudsman increased its use of compliance notices by 113% in 2020-21, as it sought to quickly rectify underpayments instead of taking action in the courts, while it has nevertheless ramped up its legal action by more than 40% and set up a dedicated branch to pursue corporate misconduct.
Woolworths says settling a class action it dismissed as "without merit" will ensure its approach to repaying thousands of salaried managers can be "appropriately addressed" via an FWO Federal Court case, but it will first pay affected staff a further $50 million.
In a decision further clarifying when clients can be legally represented in workplace matters, a Queensland IRC member has confirmed he has no power to involve lawyers in underpayment cases.
The UK Labour Party has opened its annual conference by pledging to follow the New Zealand example of introducing "Fair Pay Agreements", as part of a "New Deal" for Britain's 31 million workers.
A court has accepted that it should impose a reduced underpayment penalty on an employer and its director because last year's extended coronavirus lockdown in Melbourne significantly reduced the size and financial resources of the business.
Coles has avoided millions of dollars in penalties for underpaying Victorian workers after relying on an agreement clause that conflicts with State long service leave laws, leaving a court concerned its "paltry" $50,000 fine sets a poor precedent.