Australian workers received almost half a billion dollars in backpay last financial year.
The latest figures from the Fair Work Ombudsman show $473 million was recovered for nearly 160,000 underpaid workers in 2023-24.
Acting Fair Work Ombudsman Michael Campbell said back-payments to workers now totalled $1.5 billion across the past three years.
Mr Campbell said the recoveries came in a year where the regulator secured the largest penalties in its 15-year history, with litigations leading to $21.2 million in court-ordered penalties.
“The $473 million recovered for workers across Australia is the third-highest annual figure recorded,” he said.
Mr Campbell said more than half of the 2023-24 recoveries came from large corporate sector employers, who together back-paid more than $333 million to nearly 110,000 underpaid employees.
“The Fair Work Ombudsman has created a firmer culture of accountability across workplaces where Australia’s largest employers, like all others, are expected to prioritise compliance,” he said.
“Our investigations and enforcement actions send a clear message that employers must place a higher priority on ensuring they are meeting their workers’ legal entitlements, and that includes by improving their payroll systems and governance, and investing in advice.”
Mr Campbell said major litigation outcomes in 2023-24 included the FWO’s securing of $10.3 million in penalties against the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and CommSec, more than $4 million in penalties imposed against the operators and managers of Din Tai Fung restaurants and more than $1.4 million in penalties against the franchisor of the 85 Degrees brand in Australia.
He said 64 new litigations were filed in 2023-24 and the regulator entered into 15 Enforceable Undertakings with businesses as well as issuing 2574 Compliance Notices.
“Fair Work Inspectors issued 760 Infringement Notices for record-keeping or pay slip breaches, with total fines of $986,616 – an increase from 626 Infringement Notices in 2022-23 and $739,966 in fines paid.”
