Fair Work Ombudsman
Citation: FWO-2023-08-22-sarlija-penalty-media-release
At a glance
- Penalty
- $13,786
- Employees affected
- 1
- Awards cited
- MA000047
What happened
Mark Joseph Sarlija, the operator of 'Sarlijas Brick & Block Laying' in Clyde North, Victoria, failed to comply with a Fair Work Ombudsman Compliance Notice. The notice related to a young apprentice bricklayer he employed full-time between August and November 2020. The apprentice, aged 23 at the time, was allegedly underpaid wages and entitlements. The Fair Work Ombudsman investigated after a request for assistance from the worker.
What was decided
The Federal Circuit and Family Court imposed a $13,786 penalty against Mr Sarlija. He is now required to back-pay the apprentice all outstanding entitlements, including interest and superannuation. The court also ordered him to take steps outlined in the original Compliance Notice. Acting Fair Work Ombudsman Kristen Hannah stated that failing to act on Compliance Notices can result in penalties.
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 penalties. Special attention should be paid to protecting vulnerable workers, such as young apprentices, and ensuring they receive their lawful entitlements.
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.
Every statement above is drawn from the published decision. Read the original here:
https://www.fairwork.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/2023-media-releases/august-2023/20230822-sarlija-penalty-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 →