Fair Work Ombudsman
At a glance
- The University of Tasmania
- $21,400,000
- 10000
What happened
The University of Tasmania signed an Enforceable Undertaking with the Fair Work Ombudsman after identifying more than $21.4 million in underpayments to over 10,000 staff across an 11-year period. Most of the affected staff were casual professional and academic staff. The most common breach was failing to pay casuals for a minimum engagement period of at least three hours per shift, as required under UTAS enterprise agreements. Underpaid employees worked across UTAS campuses in Hobart, Launceston, Burnie, Sydney and smaller satellites.
What was decided
Under the EU, UTAS will complete the $21.4 million in back-pay, make a $175,000 contrition payment, and implement compliance measures. The figure is remediation and contrition, not a civil penalty. The university's review into its non-compliance is ongoing, and it has committed to rectifying any further underpayments identified.
What it means for employers
Minimum engagement clauses for casuals (commonly three hours per shift) are a hard floor. Even a one-hour meeting or marking session must be paid at the three-hour minimum under a qualifying enterprise agreement. Rostering and payroll systems need to enforce this automatically, not rely on staff to claim it.
What it means for employees
UTAS casual academic and professional staff who worked short shifts should check whether they were paid the minimum three-hour engagement each time. If not, there may be back-pay owing. UTAS is contacting affected staff as part of the remediation program.
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