Recently HR Central were approached to comment on recent findings around Fair Work.
Those key findings were:
- Since 2009, the Fair Work Ombudsman has recovered more than $161 million in back pay.
- In 2014-15, the ombudsman brought 34 successful lawsuits against companies for Fair Work violations.
- Most of these lawsuits (88%) were for unpaid wages or record-keeping offences.
If you are not paying a member of your staff correctly, you can guarantee that you will hear about it sooner or later, especially in today’s employment legislation climate.
So you need to pay attention…..Why?
Record keeping requirements (time worked and wages paid) are very important to keep abreast of, as the penalties for breaching these can be severe. If salary and entitlement arrangements are not implemented and recorded properly, a dispute may arise.
Fair Work has largely simplified things making it easier for employers to identify applicable awards. They now have 10 key national Employment Standards to guide you in respect of entitlements. So in theory, it is easier than ever to stay compliant.
However, since its introduction, many employers have been faced with situations where they have had to back-pay one or several employees due to wage under-payment. This is a significant burden on the bottom line of any business and a terminal issue for some.
So why does it sometimes go wrong…?
Despite the fact that there are now fewer awards, they can still be difficult to interpret for someone without expertise in the area….
Provisions can be confusing and it is easy to make mistakes. Some awards contain complex or unusual clauses that are not always obvious. Infact, some awards can be up to 100 pages long. Remember the key finding that The Fair Work Ombudsman brought 34 law-suits in 2014-2015 against organisations for Fair Work violations?
So what should I do?
At HR Central, we assist businesses to avoid employment disputes by ensuring that wages are accurate and entitlements are provided in line with the National Employment Standards and/or the relevant award.
So how about a coffee on us and a chat about whether or not you are in line with your requirements?
Call 1300 717 721 or click here and we will help get you sorted!