Fair Work Ombudsman
Citation: FWO-2026-03-31-the-ella-group-nsw-pty-ltd-cn-penalty-media-release
At a glance
- Respondent
- The Ella Group
- Penalty
- $45,072
- Employees affected
- 1
- Awards cited
- MA000037
What happened
The Fair Work Ombudsman took legal action against The Ella Group (NSW) Pty Ltd, which operates Funtime Childcare in Greenacre, and its sole director, Louise Ramona Yaacoubian. They failed to comply with a Compliance Notice regarding underpayments to a young early childhood educator employed between April 2021 and May 2023. The worker was aged 20 to 22 during this period. A Fair Work Inspector issued the Compliance Notice in December 2023 after suspecting underpayment of minimum wages, overtime, and annual leave entitlements under the Children’s Services Award 2010 and the Fair Work Act’s National Employment Standards. This is the second time the company and director have been penalised for similar issues.
What was decided
The Federal Circuit and Family Court imposed a $37,560 penalty against The Ella Group and a $7,512 penalty against Louise Ramona Yaacoubian for failing to comply with the Compliance Notice. The court also ordered them to calculate and rectify any underpayments, plus interest and superannuation. Judge Bernard McCabe found their conduct demonstrated a serious and deliberate disregard for their legal obligations and was 'contemptuous' of the Fair Work Ombudsman. The total penalties secured against the company and director this financial year now amount to almost $80,000.
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 court-imposed penalties, on top of the requirement to rectify the initial issue. Taking action to protect young workers is a priority for the FWO. The FWO offers free online courses to help employers understand Compliance Notices.
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 assistance. The FWO provides information and support to help employees understand their workplace rights and obligations.
Every statement above is drawn from the published decision. Read the original here:
https://www.fairwork.gov.au/newsroom/media-releases/2026-media-releases/march-2026/20260331-the-ella-group-nsw-pty-ltd-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 →