Fair Work Ombudsman
Citation: FWO-2022-01-20-big-daddy-litigation-media-release
At a glance
- Penalty
- $33,300
- Employees affected
- 2
- Awards cited
- MA000173
What happened
The Fair Work Ombudsman commenced legal action against Big Daddy’s Pty Ltd, which operates Alf’s Café at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, and its sole director, Elias Dannaoui. The action followed requests for assistance from two Colombian visa holders who worked as fast food employees between 2017 and 2020. A Fair Work Inspector issued Compliance Notices in March 2021, alleging underpayment of minimum casual wages and penalty rates for weekend and public holiday work under the Fast Food Industry Award 2010. The company allegedly failed to comply with these notices.
What was decided
The Fair Work Ombudsman is seeking penalties against Big Daddy’s Pty Ltd and Mr Dannaoui for allegedly failing to comply with the Compliance Notices. The company faces maximum penalties of up to $33,300 per breach, and Mr Dannaoui faces penalties of up to $6,600 per breach. The FWO also seeks an order for the company to rectify any underpayments, including interest and superannuation. A directions hearing is scheduled for February 2022.
What it means for employers
Employers must comply with Compliance Notices issued by the Fair Work Ombudsman. Failure to do so can result in significant penalties. Businesses should ensure they are paying employees correctly, including minimum wages, penalty rates, and public holiday pay, in accordance with the relevant award or enterprise agreement.
What it means for employees
Employees who believe they have been underpaid or are experiencing workplace issues should contact the Fair Work Ombudsman for free assistance. Interpreter services are available.
Every statement above is drawn from the published decision. Read the original here:
https://www.fairwork.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/2022-media-releases/january-2022/20220120-big-daddy-litigation-media-releaseWant more cases like this?
FairWork Mate tracks Fair Work Ombudsman, Fair Work Commission and Federal Court decisions across Australia. The full dataset, with structured fields for awards cited, industry, penalty amounts and affected employee counts, is available through the Business API. FairWork Mate AI answers plain-English questions grounded on the full corpus.
Individual case summaries on this site are free. API + AI access is a paid product. Contact us for pricing or a 50% off first month.
Get notified on new Fair Work cases
Free email alerts when we publish new underpayment decisions, penalty orders, and workplace law updates.
Free forever. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
This summary was drafted by AI from the published decision and reviewed before publishing. It is general information, not legal advice. For your specific situation, speak to the Fair Work Ombudsman (13 13 94) or a qualified lawyer. About these summaries & corrections →