Several Surf Coast businesses have received official warnings for breaching Victoria's child employment laws following a summer compliance blitz that found 89 per cent of businesses employing kids under 15 were breaching at least one aspect of the law.
The state's child employment regulator, Wage Inspectorate Victoria, inspected businesses from Torquay to Lorne, requiring them to provide information about any employees under 15. Of the businesses who were employing kids under 15:
- 56% were employing children without the required licence and were breaching other child employment conditions.
- 33% had a child employment licence but were breaching rules about supervision, work hours and rest breaks.
All unlicensed businesses subsequently applied for a licence.
The Wage Inspectorate's investigations identified approximately 550 alleged offences against the Child Employment Act 2003, with most relating to children working outside allowable hours or not being given adequate breaks.
After considering the circumstances of the alleged offending, the cooperation of the businesses and their attempts to bring themselves into compliance, the businesses were issued formal warnings.
Wage Inspectorate officers also took the time to talk to employers about the state's child employment laws, helping businesses understand their obligations.
Following the compliance blitz, the Wage Inspectorate saw a 366% increase in Surf Coast businesses applying for child employment licences.
Quotes attributable to Robert Hortle, Commissioner of Wage Inspectorate Victoria
"Our intelligence suggested surf coast businesses may not be complying with child employment laws, so we expected to find breaches, but it's concerning that most businesses employing kids were breaching the law in one way or another. It shows the need for ongoing education and compliance monitoring."
