AUSTRALIA MELBOURNE BASED TOURISM COMPANY FACED FINE FOR UNDERPAYMENT OF $ 4000 TO ITS ONE EMPLOYEE A GREAT Ocean Road touring company has agreed to revamp its workplace practices after underpaying an employee almost $4000. An investigation by the Fair Work Ombudsman found Melbourne-based Addictive Entertainment and Tours Pty Ltd had underpaid the employee as a casual bus driver between June 2013 and May this year. The driver generally worked shifts of almost 15 hours one-to-two days per week, starting at 6.15am and finishing about 9pm, taking tourists from Melbourne on Great Ocean Road day trips. After investigating a request for assistance from the employee, Fair Work inspectors found he had been paid a flat rate of $265 per shift. According to the ombudsman, the pay was not enough to cover the casual loadings and penalty rates for weekend, overtime and public holiday penalty rates he was entitled to under the Passenger Vehicle Transport Award. The company paid what it believed was the market rate but was co-operative in back-paying an additional $3935 when Fair Work inspectors explained its obligations under the Award in late October. The company has now signed an Enforceable Undertaking, which ombudsman Natalie James said was one of many ways the agency had encouraged voluntary compliance with federal workplace laws. We use Enforceable Undertakings where we have formed a view that a breach of the law has occurred, but where the employer has acknowledged this and accepted responsibility and agreed to co-operate with us and fix the problem, she said. Many of the initiatives in EUs help to build a greater understanding of workplace responsibilities, motivate the company to do the right thing and help them avoid the same mistakes again. We know workplace laws can be complicated for the uninitiated, and for those who are not industrial experts, but we ask small business to use the tools and resources that we provide for them and inform themselves. In return, you will be able to act with confidence. It means that if a problem arises down the track, you can demonstrate your intention to do the right thing.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 05:22:51 +0000
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