Australian workplace law decisions — 2025
Every published Fair Work Commission, Federal Court, Federal Circuit & Family Court, and Fair Work Ombudsman decision from 2025 in our corpus, in plain English. Sorted by date.
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The Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) and four of its officials—James Simpson, Paul Tzimas, James Harris, and Jaxson Mahy—have been penalised for unlawful conduct at construction sites in Melbourne. The incidents occurred at sites in Alphington and Croydon, where Ironside Construction Pty Ltd was the head contractor. The officials exercised their right-of-entry rights. Mr. Simpson turned off a generator without authorisation. Other breaches included failing to leave the construction zone, stopping work on an excavator, and accessing a computer screen without permission. The legal action was initially brought by the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner (ABCC) before transferring to the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Fair Work Ombudsman
Fajloun Motor Group Pty Ltd, which previously operated an Ultra Tune franchise in Yagoona, New South Wales, has been penalised by the Federal Circuit and Family Court. The company employed a worker in an automotive administration role on a casual basis from April 2022 to January 2023. The Fair Work Ombudsman investigated after the worker requested assistance. The company breached laws regarding pay slips and employment records and failed to comply with a Compliance Notice.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman has commenced legal action against Bulmer Farms Pty Ltd, a vegetable farm in Lindenow, Victoria. The farm allegedly underpaid 28 migrant workers from Kiribati, Timor Leste, and the Solomon Islands a total of $645,567 between December 2019 and December 2023. The alleged underpayments stemmed from paying workers set weekly amounts based on annualised salaries, which did not cover their entitlements under the Horticulture Award. Workers held roles including farm workers, forklift and tractor operators, and were engaged under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme. Bulmer Farms conducted an internal review and made payments of $42,189 to the workers.
Fair Work Ombudsman
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.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman secured penalties and back-pay orders against Vanna Taing, Brandon Bui, and Gary Lai, former operators and a human resources employee of a Gami Chicken & Beer franchise outlet ('Gami-Southland') in Cheltenham, Melbourne. The case involved breaches affecting 16 kitchen and wait staff, including two young workers (aged 17) and visa holders from Vietnam and Korea. The operators provided false pay slips to a Fair Work Inspector and failed to comply with a Compliance Notice requiring back-payment of wages. The Fair Work Ombudsman began investigating in 2019 and again in 2021 after receiving worker requests for assistance.
Fair Work Ombudsman
Monash University signed an Enforceable Undertaking with the Fair Work Ombudsman after identifying more than $20.7 million in underpayments, including interest and superannuation, to 10,877 staff over an 11-year period. Underpayments affected staff across all 10 Monash faculties. Most affected employees were casual academic sessional staff, with a smaller group of casual research assistants. Monash failed to pay correct rates for original and repeat tutorials, did not meet minimum engagement obligations, and underpaid rates for original lectures and tutorials under multiple enterprise agreements.
Fair Work Ombudsman
Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has paid over $1.9 million to 433 staff members who were underpaid. The underpayments occurred at campuses in Gardens Point and Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, across five faculties. Affected employees included administration officers, research assistants, and IT event staff, with most being full-time or part-time workers. The university identified the underpayments in 2019 and self-reported to the Fair Work Ombudsman in 2021. The underpayments related to overtime, meal allowances, casual loading, and minimum engagement payments, breaching enterprise agreements.
Fair Work Ombudsman
Phillip Island Souvenirs Pty Ltd, operating 'U-Neek Souvenirs & Motorsport' in Cowes, Victoria, underpaid three retail assistants a total of $40,000 between October 2018 and December 2020. The company's sole director and owner, Bruce Wisbey, was also involved. The workers, including a Slovenian visa holder, were paid unlawfully low hourly rates. The Fair Work Ombudsman investigated after receiving requests for assistance from the workers.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman has taken legal action against GCH Vic Park Pty Ltd, which previously operated 'The Globe Pan and Grill' in East Victoria Park, Perth, and its director, Jay Patel. A Fair Work Inspector issued a Compliance Notice in August 2023 after suspecting the company underpaid 16 employees, who worked as cooks and food and beverage attendants, between December 2021 and July 2023. The alleged underpayments involved minimum wage rates, penalty rates for weekend work, and accrued annual leave entitlements. The company failed to comply with the Compliance Notice, and Mr Patel is alleged to have been involved.
Fair Work Ombudsman
Westpac Banking Corporation signed an Enforceable Undertaking with the Fair Work Ombudsman after back-paying nearly 47,000 staff more than $50 million. The underpayments stretched over 11 years and affected employees at Westpac, St.George and Bank of Melbourne. The FWO said the cause was failures in systems, governance and compliance oversight, inadequate record-keeping, reliance on manual adjustments and input errors. Breaches of multiple Westpac Group enterprise agreements included underpaid casual loading, minimum wages for ordinary hours, higher duties allowances, weekend penalties, termination payments and leave payments.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has issued warnings to employers advertising jobs with illegal pay rates. Since laws were introduced to prevent this, employers have paid over $185,000 in fines. In 2023-24, 156 infringement notices were issued, costing employers almost $74,000. In 2024-25, this increased to 318 infringement notices, totaling $111,306. Examples include a fast food outlet advertising kitchen hands at $17 per hour, a disability support employer advertising at $22 per hour, and a restaurant advertising a kitchen hand role at $12-$24 per hour. The FWO has met with job platforms to improve compliance.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman took legal action against LROC Builders Pty Ltd and its director, Lachlan Robert Oliver, for failing to comply with Compliance Notices. Four carpenters were impacted, employed between December 2018 and April 2022. The businesses, based in Carrum Downs, Melbourne, allegedly underpaid minimum wages, overtime, allowances, leave, and public holiday pay. Three carpenters were employed by LROC Builders and one by Mr Oliver as a sole trader. The carpenters included a 22-year-old and an apprentice aged 24.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The University of Wollongong signed an Enforceable Undertaking with the Fair Work Ombudsman and will complete more than $6.6 million in payments, including interest and superannuation, to 5,340 underpaid staff. Most affected employees were casual professional services staff in non-teaching roles, including administration officers, IT officers, librarians and researchers. Some full-time and part-time employees, academic and support staff, were also underpaid. The primary cause was the university's failure to pay casual professional staff the minimum three-hour engagement per shift required under its enterprise agreements, and underpayment of penalty rates.
Fair Work Ombudsman
McCrystal Agricultural Services Pty Ltd, a Queensland labour hire business and sweet potato farm, and its sole director Russell McCrystal, have been penalised for unlawfully deducting pay from migrant employees. The Fair Work Ombudsman investigated the company, which operates under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme. Between 2021 and 2022, the company fined workers under an alcohol policy, deducted health insurance premium payments exceeding the actual cost, and recovered overtime overpayments without employee approval. A total of 66 employees were affected, primarily from Vanuatu.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) and Australian Border Force (ABF) conducted surprise inspections of approximately 40 businesses in Sydney, including Blacktown, Cabramatta, Chatswood, the Hills District, Hurstville, and Parramatta. The inspections targeted businesses in the fast food, restaurants, cafés, hair and beauty, and health services sectors, many employing workers with Temporary Skills Shortage (subclass 482) visas. Inspectors checked time and wage records, recent job advertisements, and provided information on workplace laws, including the right to disconnect. The ABF also ensured visa holders were not exploited and worked in their nominated positions.
Fair Work Ombudsman
AAA Aussie Emergency Glass Pty Ltd, operating in Beenleigh, Queensland, and its director Michael Ronald Boehm, have been penalised by the Federal Circuit and Family Court. This follows a Fair Work Ombudsman investigation into breaches of the Fair Work Act. The company, also known as ‘Aussie Printing Stickers & Signs’, ‘Beenleigh Glass’, and ‘Upper Class Tradesman’, failed to comply with Compliance Notices regarding underpayments to four workers. Three workers were glaziers and an office manager, employed for several years, while a fourth was a construction worker for two months. The company previously faced penalties in 2016 for unfair dismissal.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) conducted surprise visits to over 30 food sector and hospitality businesses in Darwin between August 26 and 28, 2025. This was part of Operation Sentinel, targeting suspected shadow economy activities. The investigations were prompted by community information and tip-offs. Businesses visited included fast food outlets, restaurants, and cafés.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman has commenced legal action against Karl Haidenbauer and Mezzaco Trading Pty Ltd, former operators of the 'Six Ain’t Seven' café in North Parramatta. A Fair Work Inspector issued a Compliance Notice in September 2023 after suspecting breaches of the Restaurant Industry Award regarding minimum wages paid to two casual employees between August 2022 and April 2023. One worker was on a working holiday visa from Vietnam, and the other was an 18-year-old international student from Nepal. The company is also accused of failing to provide a pay slip to one employee. The Fair Work Ombudsman alleges they did not comply with the Compliance Notice and breached the Fair Work Act.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman has commenced legal action against David Mark Blumentals, the former owner-operator of D365.Group Pty Ltd, an IT services company liquidated in 2023. The company provided services related to Microsoft software. The investigation began after requests for assistance from workers. It is alleged Mr Blumentals was involved in underpaying 16 IT consultants, based in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, a total of $149,240 between October 2021 and December 2022. Seven of the workers held visas. The alleged underpayments ranged from $4,581 to $23,749, and included unpaid annual leave and wages, and payment in lieu of notice.
Fair Work Ombudsman
Kassiou Constructions Pty Ltd, a residential building and construction company based in Winnellie, Darwin, and its director, Ilias Kassiou, have been penalised by the Federal Circuit and Family Court. This followed a Fair Work Inspector issuing a Compliance Notice in September 2023. The notice related to the company's failure to calculate and back-pay accrued but untaken annual leave entitlements to a full-time skilled labourer employed between 2012 and 2021. The company is now in liquidation.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman has commenced legal action against Kosu Group Pty Ltd, which previously operated Yakiniku Kosu restaurant in Castle Hill, Sydney, and its sole director and part-owner, Sean Lee. They are accused of underpaying two Filipino workers a total of almost $100,000 between May 2019 and September 2020. The workers, a food and beverage attendant and a sous chef, were allegedly paid significantly less than their lawful entitlements, including minimum pay rates, overtime, penalty rates, and annual leave. Kosu Group is also accused of falsifying records to inspectors and breaching record-keeping and pay slip laws. The Yakiniku Kosu restaurant is now closed.
Fair Work Ombudsman
Guoyong “Jet” Liu, a visa holder, worked at Din Tai Fung in Sydney between July 2014 and May 2018. He and 16 other employees, primarily migrants from China and Indonesia, were deliberately underpaid. Jet felt pressured to accept low wages and experienced significant stress and reduced time with his family. The Fair Work Ombudsman investigated and found a calculated scheme to underpay employees. The company, an associated company, and two company representatives faced penalties.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) conducted a three-year Horticulture Strategy (2021-2024) inspecting over 500 employers across 15 regional hotspots. Inspections targeted farms, orchards, and labour hire providers. The Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley in Victoria had the highest non-compliance rate (83%), followed by the Riverina in NSW (72%). Labour hire providers consistently had higher breach rates than direct growers. The FWO issued fines and recovered unpaid wages for 464 underpaid workers.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman is conducting inspections of 34 fast food outlets, restaurants, and cafés in Noosa Heads, Noosaville, and Tewantin, Sunshine Coast. The inspections began on June 18, 2025. They aim to check for underpayments and compliance with workplace laws. Businesses were selected based on prior non-compliance, reports, and vulnerability of workers, including visa holders. The Fair Work Ombudsman is partnering with the Department of Home Affairs to inform employers about migrant worker protections. This follows previous inspections in 2023 which recovered over $220,000 for 447 underpaid workers.
Fair Work Ombudsman
Griffith University signed an Enforceable Undertaking with the Fair Work Ombudsman and will complete more than $8.34 million in payments, including interest and superannuation, to 5,457 underpaid staff. Affected employees worked across all four of Griffith's academic groups (Arts, Education and Law; Business; Health; Sciences) and all six of its Queensland campuses. They included full-time, part-time and casual academic, professional, support and fitness staff, and proctors. Griffith self-reported to the FWO in March 2022 after identifying underpayments under its enterprise agreements and two awards. The causes included insufficient training for course convenors and school administrators, weak onboarding data, and non-existent or insufficient payroll review processes.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman has commenced legal action against Veens Group Pty Ltd, a housing construction company based in Harrington Park, Sydney, and its sole director, Dasi Shi. A Fair Work Inspector issued a Compliance Notice in June 2023 after suspecting the company failed to pay a 29-year-old Chinese construction worker, who held a student visa, for eight days in October 2022. The worker was allegedly entitled to minimum casual wages under the Building and Construction General On-Site Award 2020. The company allegedly failed to comply with the Compliance Notice, and Mr Shi is alleged to have been involved.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman secured penalties and compensation after Mr Viet Quoc Mai and Ms Huong Le, operators of two 'Mr Viet' Vietnamese eateries in Adelaide, underpaid 36 migrant workers. The workers, mostly Vietnamese international students aged under 25, were employed between January 2018 and September 2021. They were paid as little as $15 an hour, significantly below minimum wage. The couple also made employees pay for bubble tea and other items, and deducted money from pay for alleged customer errors. Mr Mai attempted to deceive Fair Work inspectors by falsely claiming to back-pay workers.
Fair Work Ombudsman
Townsend House Inc, a South Australian charity providing allied health services, self-reported workplace non-compliance to the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) in April 2023. An investigation revealed that eighty employees were underpaid base and overtime rates between September 2017 and October 2022. The underpayments, totaling over $76,000, were attributed to misunderstandings about additional hours worked and payroll system errors. The charity is part of the Can:Do Group and operates in Hindmarsh and Noarlunga, Adelaide. Affected employees held roles including administrative, social services, health professionals, and interpreters.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman has taken legal action against Hoppers Trailer Pty Ltd, a Melbourne trailer manufacturer, and its sole director, Gurpinder Singh. A Fair Work Inspector issued a Compliance Notice in August 2023 after suspecting the company underpaid a welder employed from June to October 2022. The welder was an Indian national on a temporary graduate visa. The company allegedly failed to pay accrued but untaken annual leave entitlements. The company also allegedly failed to comply with the Compliance Notice.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman has commenced legal action against Sabcha Pty Ltd, which operates 11 P’Nut Street Noodles restaurants in Sydney, Brisbane, and the Sunshine Coast, and one of its directors, Ankur Sehgal. It is alleged that 118 workers, primarily migrant workers from countries including Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, India and Indonesia, were underpaid a total of $976,463 between April 2019 and May 2021. Alleged individual underpayments ranged from $70 to $79,000. The underpayments involved minimum wage, penalty, overtime rates, split-shift allowances, and leave entitlements. Sabcha is also accused of providing false or misleading time-and-wages records and pay slips.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman is conducting surprise inspections of 20 fast food outlets, restaurants, and cafés in Newtown and Enmore, Sydney. The inspections began on March 26, 2025. Inspectors are interviewing managers and employees, checking records, and pay slips to ensure workers receive correct pay and entitlements. Businesses were selected based on prior non-compliance, reports, and vulnerability of workers, such as young people and visa holders. This is part of a national Food Precincts Program.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman has commenced legal action against Well Health Medical Services Pty Ltd, which operates Well Health Medical Hub in Merrylands, Sydney, and its sole director, Irfan Khan. The action follows a request for assistance from a registered nurse who was employed full-time between October 2020 and September 2023. A Fair Work Inspector issued a Compliance Notice in December 2023 after believing the company underpaid the worker's entitlements under the Nurses Award 2020 and National Employment Standards, including minimum wages, annual leave loading, accrued but untaken annual leave, and pay for 46 hours of work. The company failed to comply with the notice.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman has commenced legal action against IPS Holdings NSW Pty Ltd, a building and construction company based in Wollongong, and its sole director, Steven Sonnleitner. The investigation began after a worker, employed from September 2021 to September 2022, requested assistance. A Fair Work Inspector issued a Compliance Notice in February 2023, concerning unpaid annual leave entitlements. The company allegedly failed to comply with this notice, and Mr Sonnleitner is alleged to have been involved.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman has commenced legal action against The Ella Group (NSW) Pty Ltd, which operates Funtime Childcare in Greenacre, NSW, and its sole director, Louise Ramona Yaacoubian. This follows a request for assistance from a young worker, aged 20 to 22, employed as an early childhood educator from April 2021 to May 2023. A Fair Work Inspector issued a Compliance Notice in December 2023 regarding alleged underpayment of minimum wages, overtime, and annual leave entitlements under the Children’s Services Award 2010. The company allegedly failed to comply with the notice, and a pay slip contravention is also alleged. This is the second legal action against the company and director.
Fair Work Ombudsman
Relationships Australia Queensland (RAQ), a not-for-profit organisation providing support services across Queensland, has back-paid over 980 current and former employees more than $5.6 million. The underpayments occurred between December 2014 and April 2023. RAQ initially identified issues during enterprise agreement negotiations and subsequently self-reported to the Fair Work Ombudsman in April 2023. Employees were underpaid base rates, leave payments, shift penalties, overtime, allowances, and additional leave entitlements. The affected employees worked in various roles statewide, including counselling officers, administration staff, and managers.
Fair Work Ombudsman
KLM Foods Pty Ltd and Loveleen Gupta were penalized for underpaying four migrant workers at two United Petroleum-branded outlets in Sandy Bay and Kingston, Tasmania, between December 2020 and February 2021. The workers, including those from India and Bangladesh, were paid flat rates ranging from $16 to $23 per hour, resulting in underpayment of minimum wages, overtime, and penalty rates. One worker, aged 19-20, was a junior. KLM Foods also required one worker to make an unlawful $6,353 cashback payment and provided false pay slips and timesheets. Vizaan Pty Ltd, a company involved in the Kingston outlet, also played a role.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman has taken legal action against Echuca Kebabs Pty Ltd and its sole director, Zekeriye Bilir. This followed a request for assistance from a worker employed between 2017 and 2022. A Fair Work Inspector issued a Compliance Notice in February 2023, alleging the company failed to pass on JobKeeper payments received in 2020 and 2021 and underpaid minimum wages and annual leave entitlements under the Fast Food Industry Award 2010. The company allegedly failed to comply with the Compliance Notice.
Fair Work Ombudsman
Hamilton Island Enterprises Limited and its subsidiary Hamilton Island Shared Services signed an Enforceable Undertaking with the Fair Work Ombudsman after back-paying staff more than $28.1 million. The FWO began investigating in 2020 following requests for assistance from staff. Most of the underpayments were caused by the companies paying many full-time employees annual salaries that were not high enough to cover their minimum Award entitlements, once overtime, shift-work and penalty-rate hours were included. The most common entitlements underpaid were overtime, weekend and public holiday penalties and broken-shift allowances.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman has commenced legal action against Azmy Enterprises Pty Ltd, which operates Little Abbey's Academy in Hammondville, Sydney, and its sole director, Abanoub Azmy. The action follows a request for assistance from a former employee, an early childhood teacher who worked from July 2017 to September 2022. A Fair Work Inspector issued a Compliance Notice in June 2023, believing the worker was underpaid wages, annual leave, and an educational leader allowance, and accrued but untaken annual leave. The company allegedly failed to comply with the notice.
Fair Work Ombudsman
R J Cornish & Co. Pty Ltd, a fruit grower in Cobram and Muckatah, Victoria, made unlawful wage deductions totaling $126,859 from the wages of 112 employees between July 2017 and June 2024. The deductions were for power ladder hire, fuel, and sprinkler damage. Inspectors found the company failed to pay employees in full. 39 of the affected employees held working holiday visas. Almost all back-payments of $123,249 have been made to 108 employees.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman has commenced legal action against Sergey Stanislavovich Navasardyan, the former operator of Griffon Alpha Group Pty Ltd, a now deregistered security company in Perth. It is alleged that Mr. Navasardyan was involved in underpaying 44 security guards a total of $911,292 between December 2019 and May 2022. Many of the workers were visa holders from non-English speaking backgrounds. Griffon Alpha Group employed the workers on a casual basis at various venues and events. The company allegedly paid flat rates of $21 to $25 per hour, which did not cover entitlements under the Security Services Award 2010 and 2020.
Fair Work Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman secured court orders against 10 Foster Street Pty Ltd, a Sydney-based wedding dress design and retail company. The company failed to comply with a Compliance Notice regarding unpaid entitlements to four workers employed between June 2015 and September 2021. Two of the workers were aged 23 to 25. The workers held roles including administration and marketing, pattern maker, draper, and design-and-sales assistant. The Fair Work Ombudsman investigated after receiving requests for assistance from the affected workers.