$2.45 pay claim probe
AN international student was allegedly paid as little as $2.45 an hour while working at a Hobart restaurant, which is the subject of a Fair Work investigation.
The Fair Work Ombudsman has begun legal action against the owner-operators of the now-closed Anatolia Turk- ish restaurant in North Hobart for allegedly underpaying four workers.
It was alleged Oya Waechter underpaid the employees a total of $31,452.
Her husband, Peter Waechter, will also face the Federal Circuit Court for his alleged involvement in some contraventions. The four workers — a teenage Australian waitress, an apprentice cook in her 60s, a food-and-beverage attendant from Malaysia and a kitchen attendant from Pakistan — contacted Fair Work about the alleged underpayments.
It was alleged wages were often paid late, or not at all, and overtime rates, casual loadings and penalty rates for weekend and public holiday work were often not paid.
The Pakistani student was allegedly paid $250 for 102 hours of work — an effective hourly rate of $2.45 — resulting in a total alleged underpayment of $2315.
The apprentice cook was allegedly underpaid $3885, while it was alleged the teenage waitress was underpaid $451.77.
The Malaysian was allegedly short-changed $24,800 after receiving hourly rates ranging from $10.09 to $25.34 over a 12-month period.
Acting Fair Work Ombudsman Kristen Hannah said a key factor in the decision to begin legal action was the blatant nature of the alleged underpayments.
“Allegations involving vulnerable workers receiving pay rates that equate to as little as $2.45 an hour warrant the use of the most serious enforcement tools at our disposal,” Ms Hannah said.
“We also treat cases involving underpayment of overseas workers particularly seriously because we are conscious that they can be vulnerable because of a lack of awareness of their entitlements, language barriers and a reluctance to complain.”
Mr and Mrs Waechter face penalties of up to $10,800 for each contravention as well as backpaying the workers in full.