Fair Work Ombudsman
Citation: FWO-2025-11-18-harmans-food-group-and-harman-cn-penalty-media-release
At a glance
- Penalty
- $7,512
- Employees affected
- 1
- Awards cited
- MA000117
What happened
Ilhan Harman, the former sole director of Harmans Food Group Pty Ltd, which operated kebab shops ('Hero Kebab and Café') in central Queensland, has been penalised by the Federal Circuit and Family Court. The penalty relates to his involvement in the company's failure to comply with a Compliance Notice issued by the Fair Work Ombudsman. The Compliance Notice concerned unpaid entitlements for a young worker employed as a fast food worker across two Rockhampton outlets between March and September 2022. The worker was aged 22 to 23 during this period. The company is now in liquidation.
What was decided
The Federal Circuit and Family Court imposed a penalty of $7,512 on Ilhan Harman for failing to comply with a Fair Work Ombudsman Compliance Notice. The Compliance Notice required Harmans Food Group to back-pay $6,766 in entitlements, plus superannuation, to the young worker. Judge Gregory Egan emphasised the importance of businesses complying with workplace relations laws and deterring breaches. The Fair Work Ombudsman stated that legal action will be taken when Compliance Notices are not followed.
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-imposed penalties. Employers should prioritise protecting young workers' entitlements and ensure they understand their obligations under workplace relations legislation. Seeking information from employer associations or utilising the Fair Work Ombudsman’s resources, such as the pay calculator, can assist with compliance.
What it means for employees
Employees who believe they are owed unpaid entitlements should contact the Fair Work Ombudsman for free assistance. Information and resources are available on the Fair Work Ombudsman’s website and through the Infoline. Employees can also seek information from their employer or union.
Every statement above is drawn from the published decision. Read the original here:
https://www.fairwork.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/2025-media-releases/november-2025/20251118-harmans-food-group-and-harman-cn-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 →