Fair Work Ombudsman
Citation: FWO-2024-12-10-yesilbas-litigation-media-release
At a glance
- Penalty
- $3,932
- Employees affected
- 1
- Awards cited
- MA000173
What happened
The Fair Work Ombudsman has commenced legal action against Tamer Yesilbas, the former operator of The Dock Lounge bar in Melbourne. An investigation began after a request for assistance from an Italian visa holder who worked as a casual bar worker from December 2022 to January 2023. A Fair Work Inspector issued a Compliance Notice in July 2023, alleging underpayment of minimum wages, overtime, and penalty rates. Yesilbas allegedly failed to comply with the notice and also breached pay slip laws.
What was decided
The Fair Work Ombudsman is seeking penalties against Tamer Yesilbas for failing to comply with a Compliance Notice and for breaches of pay slip laws. The court could order Yesilbas to pay penalties and back-pay the employee’s entitlements, including superannuation and interest. The FWO is seeking a penalty of up to $9,390 for the Compliance Notice breach and $18,780 for the pay slip breach. A directions hearing is scheduled for February 2025.
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 employee entitlements. Employers should be particularly aware of the workplace rights of visa holder employees and ensure compliance with all relevant legislation and awards.
What it means for employees
Employees, including visa holders, have the same workplace rights as other employees. If you believe you have been underpaid or are experiencing workplace issues, 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/2024-media-releases/december-2024/20241210-yesilbas-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 →