Fair Work Ombudsman
Citation: FWO-2023-12-15-more-than-skin-penalty-media-release
At a glance
- Respondent
- More Than Skin Pty Ltd
- Penalty
- $124,000
- Employees affected
- 3
- Awards cited
- MA000173
What happened
The Fair Work Ombudsman took legal action against More Than Skin Pty Ltd, which operated The Noshery café in Glebe, Sydney, and its co-directors, Lila Stojcevski and Lupo Stojcevski. The company and individuals failed to comply with Compliance Notices and breached pay slip laws. Three workers, including two international students and a working holiday visa holder, were employed in kitchen and waitstaff roles between September and December 2020. The Fair Work Ombudsman issued Compliance Notices in March and May 2021 regarding underpayment of minimum casual wages, casual penalty rates for weekend and public holiday work, and failure to provide pay slips.
What was decided
The Federal Circuit and Family Court imposed penalties totaling $124,275 against More Than Skin Pty Ltd ($99,900), the Respondent ($20,379.60), and the Second Respondent ($3,996). The Court ordered the company to back-pay the workers all entitlements, including superannuation and interest. Judge Given found the respondents showed no contrition and that her partner was deliberately uncooperative. The Court emphasized the need for substantial penalties to deter future non-compliance.
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 back-pay orders. Employers must also ensure they issue pay slips to employees as legally required. The café and restaurant industry should be particularly aware of their obligations.
What it means for employees
Employees who believe they have been underpaid or are experiencing issues with their pay or entitlements should contact the Fair Work Ombudsman for free advice and assistance. Visa holders are particularly protected, and the FWO prioritizes compliance in sectors like fast food, restaurants, and cafes.
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/2023-media-releases/december-2023/20231215-more-than-skin-penalty-media-releaseSend your details to Liquid Employment Lawyers
Liquid Employment Lawyers is a paid legal service and our referral partner, not free Fair Work advice. 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.
Individual case summaries on this site are free. The full FWC and Federal Court library behind every advisor answer is on Pro.
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.
Just need this week sorted? A 7-Day Pass is 50 questions over 7 days, no account. Get a 7-Day Pass — $14.99
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