The office regulator is taking authorized motion in opposition to the proprietor of Supercheap Auto, Rebel Sport, Macpac and BCF for allegedly underpaying employees by greater than $1 million.
The Fair Work Ombudsman introduced the Federal Court motion in opposition to Super Retail Group and its subsidiaries on Friday following some “serious” contraventions of the Fair Work Act.
It’s alleging the inventory exchange-listed firm didn’t pay salaried staff their minimal lawful entitlements, provided that they typically carried out vital additional time.
Fair Work examined a pattern of 146 employees and located they had been underpaid by $1.14 million between January 2017 and March 2019.
The quantities ranged from small to about $34,500 per worker, together with retailer managers, retail employees and directors.
Fair Work started investigating after Super Retail Group self-reported the underpayment of hundreds of staff in 2018.
It apologised and paid again greater than $52.7 million in entitlements and curiosity to present and former employees.
“We note the allegations in the proceedings and reiterate our view that this matter represents a regrettable chapter in our company’s history,” Super Retail Group CEO Anthony Heraghty mentioned on Friday.
“It is unacceptable and contrary to the company’s values for any team member not to be paid correctly.”
Super Retail Group claimed the workers had been “Set Up” workforce members concerned in establishing new shops and refurbishing present ones.
The regulator can also be alleging that the methodology utilized by Super Retail Group to treatment the sooner state of affairs resulted in solely partial back-payment of wages beneath its remediation program.
“The breaches alleged in this case – inadequate annual salaries for employees stretching across multiple years – have become a persistent issue for businesses across many industries,” Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker mentioned.
“Every employer should be clear that if annual salaries do not cover all minimum lawful entitlements for all hours actually worked, the results can be substantial back-payment bills, plus the risk of significant court-ordered penalties.”
It’s the primary time the Ombudsman has tried to carry a holding firm liable for alleged breaches by its subsidiaries.
The most penalties for the alleged critical contraventions are $630,000 per breach – 10 instances the penalties that may ordinarily apply.
