Bookkeeping & Payroll Services for Small Businesses

  On 1 January 2025, Australia introduced landmark legislation aimed at combating wage theft—intentional underpayment of wages. These new laws elevate wage theft to a criminal offence, sending a strong message that deliberate underpayment will not be tolerated. Employers and payroll managers must act now to understand these laws, ensure compliance, and avoid significant penalties. Key Features of the Laws Criminalisation of Wage Theft Intentional underpayment is now a criminal offence. Employers found guilty may face fines, and individuals—including payroll managers—risk imprisonment. Clear Definitions Wage theft includes deliberate failures to pay wages, superannuation, entitlements, or penalty rates in line with industrial agreements or legal requirements. Increased Penalties Severe fines for organisations and personal liability for responsible individuals are now in place. Enhanced Enforcement Regulators like the Fair ...

 

  A finance and mortgage-broking company in Sydney, First Step Finance Pty Ltd, has been hit with $117,190 in penalties after failing to pay three workers their entitlements and knowingly providing false or misleading pay slips. The Federal Circuit and Family Court fined the company $97,710, with an additional $19,480 penalty for the company’s sole director, David Brian Ward, for their breaches of the Fair Work Act. Despite multiple Compliance Notices from the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO), the company did not back-pay the affected workers, who were employed in management roles, and issued misleading pay slips. The FWO, after investigating worker complaints, took the company to court. The judge emphasized that penalties are necessary to deter future violations by the company and others. Fair Work Ombudsman Anna Booth warned that businesses failing to comply with Compliance Notices will face serious legal consequences, in addition to repaying any outstanding entitlements. If y...

 

  In 2023-24, Aussie workers clawed back a whopping $473 million in owed wages, thanks to the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO), which brought the total back-pay for underpaid workers to a staggering $1.5 billion over the past three years. This past year marked a record for the FWO, as it secured the highest penalties in its 15-year history—$21.2 million in court-ordered fines from various employers. The FWO’s latest Annual Report revealed that large corporate employers were responsible for more than half of these recoveries, paying over $333 million to nearly 110,000 employees. Since July 2020, this sector alone has repaid workers $877 million. Acting Fair Work Ombudsman Michael Campbell highlighted the FWO’s focus on holding big employers accountable, which has helped instill a culture of compliance across Australian workplaces. “The Fair Work Ombudsman is driving change so Australia’s biggest employers, just like smaller ones, make compliance a priority,” Campbell said. “Getting owe...