Fair Work Ombudsman
Citation: FWO-2026-02-20-threshold-boats-pty-ltd-and-ebeling-cn-litigation
At a glance
- Penalty
- $7,749
- Employees affected
- 2
What happened
The Fair Work Ombudsman has commenced legal action against Threshold Boats Pty Ltd, a Perth boat repair and servicing business, and its sole director and owner, Thomas Ebeling. A Fair Work Inspector issued a Compliance Notice in September 2024 after suspecting the company underpaid minimum wages and annual leave entitlements to two former employees, a manager and a mechanic. The employees were employed full-time between March 2022 and March 2024. The company allegedly failed to comply with the Compliance Notice, which required back-payment of entitlements totaling $7,749, and Mr. Ebeling was allegedly involved.
What was decided
The Fair Work Ombudsman is seeking penalties against Threshold Boats Pty Ltd (up to $93,900) and Thomas Ebeling (up to $18,780) for failing to comply with the Compliance Notice. The court is also expected to order the company to comply with the notice, including paying the outstanding amounts, superannuation, and interest. A directions hearing is scheduled for March 2026.
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 entitlements. Businesses should seek advice if unsure how to respond to a Compliance Notice.
What it means for employees
Employees who believe they have been underpaid or are concerned about their entitlements should contact the Fair Work Ombudsman for free advice and 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/2026-media-releases/february-2026/20260220-threshold-boats-pty-ltd-and-ebeling-cn-litigationWant 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 →