New laws in Australia criminalize wage theft, imposing prison sentences of up to 10 years and fines of up to $1.56 million for individual bosses, and fines of up to $7.85 million for companies. This follows a series of scandals involving major corporations, prompting the Fair Work watchdog to pursue criminal prosecutions against employers who intentionally avoid paying workers their due wages and entitlements.
Employers could end up in prison or face fines in the millions under new laws criminalising wage theft that come into effect today.
Individual bosses can now face up to ten years in prison, and fines of up to $1.56 million, under the wage theft legislation, while a company could be hit with fines of up to $7.85 million.Previously, national watchdog Fair Work was only able to pursue companies and their bosses with civil action. The Australian Council of Trade Unions said wage theft, where workers were paid below the minimum wage, affected around one million Australians.
Audits by the Fair Work Ombudsman estimated around $850 million to $1.55 billion in wages were stolen each year, the union said.
WAGE THEFT AUSTRALIA EMPLOYMENT LAW FINES PRISON
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Sony, Panasonic 'cut and run' from Malaysian supplier accused of wage theftMigrant workers allege exploitation by Kawaguchi Manufacturing, accusing the supplier for Sony, Panasonic and Daikin of not paying wages and withholding passports.
Read more »
Australian Bosses Face Jail Time for Wage TheftNew laws in Australia criminalize wage theft, with bosses potentially facing up to 10 years in prison and $1.65 million fines for intentionally underpaying workers.
Read more »
Dishonest Bosses Face Jail for Wage Theft Under New LawsLandmark wage theft laws coming into effect on January 1 in Australia will make intentional underpayment of workers a crime. Bosses who deliberately underpay workers could face up to 10 years in jail and fines of up to $1.65 million, while companies risk fines exceeding $8 million. The laws aim to target organizations deliberately committing wage theft and will not apply to honest mistakes or inadvertent underpayments.
Read more »
Jail Time for Wage Theft: Landmark Laws Target Dishonest BossesNew laws coming into effect in Australia will criminalize intentional wage theft by employers, making it punishable by up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $1.65 million for individuals and $8 million for companies.
Read more »
Sydney Fireworks Countdown, Wage Theft Laws, Swiatek's Debut, Dutton's Podcast InterviewSydney prepares for a massive New Years Eve fireworks display, new laws criminalize wage theft in Australia, tennis star Iga Swiatek kickstarts her season, and Peter Dutton gives a rare interview on a popular podcast.
Read more »
'It's the future': Australia's world-first plan to stop identity theft underwayThe federal government is trialling a new way for Australians to prove their identity without handing over any sensitive information.
Read more »