$100,000 wage theft case hits former operator of top city restaurants
The former operator of Cha Cha Char and Il Centro restaurants has been sued by the Fair Work Ombudsman over alleged wage theft.
Brisbane's popular Il Centro restaurant, whose former operators have been charged with wage theft of almost $100,000. (file Image).
FWO said facing the court action was Il Roy Pty Ltd, which operated Cha Cha Char on the Eagle St Pier and the company’s director Binqi Zhao.
The action followed an investigation by FWO after receiving requests for help from five workers at the restaurants who worked there between 2015 and 2020.
They were an office manager, bar manager, restaurant manager and two head chefs who were owed a total $99,132.
“A Fair Work inspector issued a compliance notice to Il Roy in March 2022 after forming the belief all five workers were not paid their accrued by untaken annual leave entitlements at the end of their employment, owed under the Fair Work Act’s national employment standards,” FWO said.
“It is alleged that four of the workers were also not paid a payment-in-lieu notice of termination and redundancy entitlements at the end of their employment.”
FWO was seeking penalties against Il Roy Pty Ltd and Mr Zhao for allegedly failing to comply with the compliance notice. The company faces a penalty of up to $33,300 and Zhao faces a penalty of up to $6660.
The regulator was also seeking an order for Il Roy to rectify the alleged underpayments in full, plus interest.
