Fair Work Ombudsman
Citation: FWO-2023-03-06-printpot-litigation-media-release
At a glance
- Penalty
- $33,300
- Employees affected
- 1
- Awards cited
- MA000037
What happened
The Fair Work Ombudsman commenced legal action against Printpot Pty Ltd, a wheat farm operator in Carinda, New South Wales. A farmhand worked for the company from July 2018 to February 2020. A Fair Work Inspector issued a Compliance Notice in July 2021, alleging underpayment of minimum wages and annual leave entitlements under the Pastoral Award 2010 and the National Employment Standards. Printpot allegedly failed to comply with the notice, which required calculation and back-payment of entitlements.
What was decided
The Fair Work Ombudsman is taking Printpot Pty Ltd to court for failing to comply with a Compliance Notice regarding alleged underpayment of a farmhand. The company faces a potential penalty of up to $33,300. The court is also expected to order Printpot to rectify the alleged underpayment, including interest and superannuation. A directions hearing is scheduled for April 2023.
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 interest and superannuation. The agriculture sector is a priority for Fair Work compliance.
What it means for employees
Employees who believe they have been underpaid or are unsure of their entitlements 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/2023-media-releases/march-2023/20230306-printpot-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 →