2022 Had the Highest Amount of Back-Paid Wages To Date

Fair Work Ombudsman recorded highest amount of back-paid wages 

The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has announced that in the 2021-2022 year, they have recovered more than $532 million for 384,805 underpaid workers. This amount in underpayments is three times higher than the previous record of recoveries in 2020-2021. Two of the largest corporations that were investigated by FWO for potential underpayments were Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Coles Supermarkets both of which are still before the Federal court. This is a reminder that large corporations also can be caught in underpaying staff even in the circumstances where Enterprise Bargaining Agreements are in place. This is a timely reminder that MPAQ is here to help with your employee’s and what to pay. The FWO takes a firm stance that ignorance of a wage increase or entitlement in an Award is not enough to get out of making back payments for underpayments. If you have any questions relating to payment of employees or if you suspect you are underpaying an employee, please contact our HR team on 07 3273 0800.