Watchdog raids Lockyer Valley farms after wage theft tip offs, ripoffs
The Fair Work Ombudsman has raided about 20 farming businesses and labour hire companies in the Lockyer Valley after a tip-off related to wage theft.
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The FWO said the “surprise” inspections were happening this week at Gatton.
The FWO is targeting more than 300 businesses in 15 hot spot regions over two and a half years where a high risk of non-compliance had been identified. Industry sectors being investigated include viticulture, horticulture, meat processing and agriculture.
Inspectors are speaking with growers, labour hire operators, managers and employees on the ground, and are requesting records.
Inspectors can issue infringement notices of up to $1878 for an individual or $9390 for a company for breaches of payslip and record-keeping obligations.
Courts can also order penalties of up to $18,780 for each contravention for an individual and $93,900 for companies. Maximum penalties are 10-times higher if a court determines breaches were serious contraventions under the Fair Work Act.
The ombudsman said the companies targeted were being assessed for compliance with workplace laws based on intelligence and tip-offs about worker under-payments or because they employed visa-holder workers “who can be vulnerable”.
“The FWO has received intelligence regarding potential non-compliance in the region such as alleged non-payment for time worked, unlawfully low pay rates, underpaid minimum rates, below-award rates to visa holders, unpaid casual, weekend and public holiday loadings, unauthorised deductions and pay slip breaches,” it said.
Acting ombudsman Kristen Hannah said the agency was committed to boosting compliance in the agriculture sector.
“Inspectors are out in the field to hold employers to account if they are not meeting their obligations,” Hannah said.
“We will take enforcement action where appropriate. We also act to ensure employers understand their legal responsibilities, including record-keeping and the minimum wage guarantee for pieceworkers.
“The agriculture sector employs a significant number of migrant workers who can be vulnerable to exploitation as they may have limited English skills, or be unaware of their rights or unwilling to raise concerns. It is important visa holders know that they have the same workplace rights as all other workers.”
