Fair Work Ombudsman
Citation: FWO-2022-10-27-meriel-enterprises-litigation-media-release
At a glance
- Respondent
- Meriel Enterprises Pty Ltd
- Penalty
- $33,300
- Employees affected
- 1
What happened
The Fair Work Ombudsman has commenced legal action against Meriel Enterprises Pty Ltd, which operates Meei Clinic in Baulkham Hills, New South Wales. The action follows a request for assistance from a former part-time beauty therapist who worked at the clinic between March and June 2021. A Fair Work Inspector issued a Compliance Notice in July 2021, believing the worker was underpaid minimum wages, Saturday penalty rates, and accrued but untaken annual leave entitlements. The company allegedly failed to comply with the notice.
What was decided
The Fair Work Ombudsman is taking Meriel Enterprises to court for failing to comply with a Compliance Notice. The notice required the company to calculate and back-pay the worker’s entitlements. The company faces a potential penalty of up to $33,300. The court is also expected to order the company to rectify the alleged underpayment, including superannuation and interest. A directions hearing is scheduled for November 1, 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 and orders to back-pay entitlements, plus superannuation and interest. Employers should ensure they are meeting their obligations under the Hair and Beauty Industry Award 2010 and the National Employment Standards.
What it means for employees
Employees who believe they have been underpaid or are not receiving their correct entitlements should contact the Fair Work Ombudsman for free 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-2022/20221027-meriel-enterprises-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 →