Fair Work Ombudsman
Citation: FWO-2024-12-19-lizzy-penalty-media-release
At a glance
- Respondent
- Lizzy Hair Design Pty Ltd
- Penalty
- $58,000
- Employees affected
- 1
- Awards cited
- MA000153
What happened
Lizzy Hair Design Pty Ltd, a hairdressing business based in Plumpton, New South Wales, and its former director, Sharon Xuereb, have been penalized by the Federal Circuit and Family Court. This followed a Fair Work Ombudsman investigation into breaches of pay slip laws and failure to comply with a Compliance Notice. The business employed a young apprentice hairdresser between May 2018 and June 2022. The apprentice was aged between 20 and 23 during this time. The company has now ceased trading.
What was decided
The court imposed a $55,000 penalty on Lizzy Hair Design Pty Ltd and a $3,000 penalty on Sharon Xuereb. Lizzy Hair Design was also ordered to back-pay the apprentice $6,413 plus interest. The penalties arose from failing to comply with a Compliance Notice regarding annual leave entitlements owed under the Hair and Beauty Industry Award 2010 and the Fair Work Act’s National Employment Standards. Fair Work Ombudsman Anna Booth emphasized the consequences of ignoring Compliance Notices.
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-payment obligations. Businesses should prioritize protecting young workers, including apprentices, and ensure compliance with relevant awards and legislation. The FWO offers free online courses to help employers understand Compliance Notices.
What it means for employees
Employees, particularly young workers and apprentices, should seek assistance from the Fair Work Ombudsman if they have concerns about their pay or entitlements. Free advice and assistance are available through the Fair Work Infoline and online resources.
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/2024-media-releases/december-2024/20241219-lizzy-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