Fair Work Ombudsman
At a glance
- Jagged Edge Hair Design and T.L.C By the Sea
- $4,000
- 1
- MA000138
What happened
the Applicant, who operates Jagged Edge Hair Design and T.L.C By the Sea in Port Macquarie, NSW, failed to comply with a Compliance Notice. The Fair Work Ombudsman investigated after a request from a hairdresser who worked full-time at the salon between January 2019 and January 2021. The worker was aged 23 to 25 during this period.
What was decided
The Federal Circuit and Family Court imposed a $4,000 penalty against the Applicant. She must also rectify a $7,686 underpayment, including superannuation and interest. The court found the worker suffered significant loss and the penalty aimed to deter similar conduct. The Fair Work Ombudsman stated they will take legal action when Compliance Notices are not followed.
What it means for employers
Employers must comply with Compliance Notices issued by the Fair Work Ombudsman. Failure to do so can result in court-imposed penalties and back-payment obligations. The court highlighted a culture of wage non-compliance in some industries and stressed that wage theft will not be tolerated.
What it means for employees
Employees who believe they have been underpaid or are concerned about their entitlements should contact the Fair Work Ombudsman for free advice and assistance. The Fair Work Ombudsman provides interpreters and resources for small businesses.
Want this applied to your situation?
Reading the decision is free. FairWork Mate goes further — it reads the full case library and applies precedents like this one to your specific facts, citing the cases as it reasons. General information, not a guaranteed outcome or legal advice.
Send your details to Liquid Employment Lawyers
Liquid Employment Lawyers is a paid legal service and our referral partner, not free Fair Work advice. FairWork Mate may receive a referral fee from Liquid Legal. Tell them what has happened and a member of their team will call you back. For free general guidance, use our tools or call the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94.
Prefer to read first? About Liquid Employment Lawyers · Not sure if you need a lawyer? Read the legal help guides
Want more cases like this?
FairWork Mate tracks Fair Work Ombudsman, Fair Work Commission and Federal Court decisions across Australia. The AI advisor answers plain-English questions grounded on the full corpus — awards cited, industry, penalty amounts and affected employee counts — with a citation to the underlying decision on every answer.
FairWork Mate AI
This is one decision. Pro reads all of them.
Free case pages cite the top 250 decisions. Pro opens the full Fair Work Commission and Federal Court library, cross-references your own situation against it, and cites the decision behind every answer — plus document upload, so it can read your letter or contract line by line. 150 questions a month, cancel anytime.
Renews monthly at A$29.99 until you cancel. By continuing you agree to our Terms.
Get notified on new Fair Work cases
Free email alerts when we publish new underpayment decisions, penalty orders, and workplace law updates.