In 2023-24, Aussie workers clawed back a whopping $473 million in owed wages, thanks to the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO), which brought the total back-pay for underpaid workers to a staggering $1.5 billion over the past three years. This past year marked a record for the FWO, as it secured the highest penalties in its 15-year history—$21.2 million in court-ordered fines from various employers.
The FWO’s latest Annual Report revealed that large corporate employers were responsible for more than half of these recoveries, paying over $333 million to nearly 110,000 employees. Since July 2020, this sector alone has repaid workers $877 million. Acting Fair Work Ombudsman Michael Campbell highlighted the FWO’s focus on holding big employers accountable, which has helped instill a culture of compliance across Australian workplaces.
“The Fair Work Ombudsman is driving change so Australia’s biggest employers, just like smaller ones, make compliance a priority,” Campbell said. “Getting owed wages back into workers’ pockets really makes a difference and ensures a fair go for employers doing the right thing.”
This year’s enforcement saw some major legal wins, including $10.3 million in penalties against the Commonwealth Bank and CommSec, and over $4 million against Din Tai Fung restaurants. Notably, nearly $8 million of total penalties were linked to cases involving migrant workers, underscoring the FWO’s commitment to protecting vulnerable workers.
The FWO also tackled compliance issues through other measures, filing 64 new court actions, entering into 15 Enforceable Undertakings with businesses (securing $30.2 million in back-pay), and issuing 2,574 Compliance Notices to recover $16.9 million in unpaid wages. Meanwhile, 760 Infringement Notices for record-keeping or pay slip breaches saw fines totaling $986,616, up from the previous year.
Looking ahead to 2024-25, the FWO plans to focus on high-risk sectors like aged care, agriculture, construction, disability support, fast food, and universities, while continuing its support for small businesses and ‘at risk’ workers across the country.
