Fair Work Ombudsman
Citation: FWO-2022-10-25-vuf-investments-litigation-media-release
At a glance
- Respondent
- VUF Investments Pty Ltd
- Penalty
- $1,200
- Employees affected
- 1
- Awards cited
- MA000067
What happened
The Fair Work Ombudsman commenced legal action against VUF Investments Pty Ltd, formerly operating 'Luke's Bakery' in Reservoir, Melbourne, and its sole director, the Respondent. A worker employed in a front-of-house role between February and July 2021 contacted the Fair Work Ombudsman seeking assistance. A Fair Work Inspector issued a Compliance Notice in October 2021, alleging underpayment of minimum wages, overtime rates, Sunday penalty rates, and annual leave entitlements. While the company partially back-paid approximately $1,200, further underpayment is alleged. The company failed to comply with the Compliance Notice.
What was decided
The Fair Work Ombudsman is taking VUF Investments and the Respondent to court for failing to comply with a Compliance Notice regarding alleged underpayment of a worker. The company faces a potential penalty of up to $33,300, and the Respondent faces a penalty of up to $6,660. The court may also order the company to rectify the underpayment, including interest and superannuation. A directions hearing is scheduled for December 2022. The current operators of Luke's Bakery are not involved in the allegations.
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. Employers should ensure they are meeting all employee entitlements, including minimum wages, penalty rates, and annual leave.
What it means for employees
Employees who believe they have been underpaid or are not receiving their full entitlements should contact the Fair Work Ombudsman for free advice and assistance. Interpreter services are available.
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.
Every statement above is drawn from the published decision. Read the original here:
https://www.fairwork.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/2022-media-releases/october-2022/20221025-vuf-investments-litigation-media-releaseWant 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.
Individual case summaries on this site are free. Full-corpus advisor access is a paid product — Business Solo from $99/mo, 50% off your first 3 months for the first 100 signups.
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 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 →