Fair Work Ombudsman
Citation: FWO-2025-10-13-lawler-and-anor-penalty-media-release
At a glance
- Respondent
- Michael Lawler Transport Pty Ltd
- Penalty
- $31,550
- Employees affected
- 1
What happened
Michael Lawler Transport Pty Ltd, a Brisbane-based transport company, and its director, Michael Lawler, failed to comply with a Fair Work Commission order. The order required them to pay $27,280 in compensation to a driver they unfairly dismissed. The company employed the driver between July 2022 and December 2023. Attempts to secure voluntary compliance were unsuccessful, leading the Fair Work Ombudsman to file legal proceedings.
What was decided
The Federal Circuit and Family Court imposed penalties of $26,292 on Michael Lawler Transport Pty Ltd and $5,258 on Michael Lawler. The company was also ordered to pay the outstanding compensation of $12,280 to the unfairly dismissed driver. The total penalties exceeded the original compensation order. The Fair Work Ombudsman emphasized the importance of complying with Fair Work Commission orders and will take legal action against those who fail to do so.
What it means for employers
Employers must prioritize compliance with Fair Work Commission orders. Failure to do so can result in significant court-imposed penalties, in addition to back-paying workers. Directors can be held personally liable for breaches.
What it means for employees
Employees who believe their pay or entitlements are incorrect should contact the Fair Work Ombudsman for free advice and assistance. The Fair Work Ombudsman can help enforce Fair Work Commission orders.
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/2025-media-releases/october-2025/20251013-lawler-and-anor-penalty-media-releaseWant 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. Full-corpus advisor access is a paid product — Business Solo from $99/mo, 50% off your first 3 months for the first 100 signups.
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 →