Wage Inspectorate Victoria helped workers reclaim more than $750,000 in long service leave entitlements last financial year, benefitting Victorians across industries and in different types of employment, including workers in casual and full-time roles.
These repayments were the result of over 100 investigations conducted in response to long service leave underpayments, and included:
- A worker recovering more than $16,000 with help from the Wage Inspectorate after their employer of 13 years refused to pay their long service leave entitlement when it was due
- A casual worker in the arts and recreation industry reclaiming over $9,000 with help from the Wage Inspectorate after their employer of 11 years initially refused to pay.
Across its remit, the Wage Inspectorate helped 12,000 Victorian businesses and workers with its front-line services in 2023-24, while more than 340,000 people accessed its educational tools and website resources, with most people seeking information about long service leave laws.
Matters before court
The regulator prosecuted 17 businesses in 2023-24, which resulted in offenders being ordered to pay more than $2.1 million in fines and costs.
This included Optus and Woolworths, which pleaded guilty to underpaying long service leave entitlements, and Cold Rock Shepparton, Red Rooster Wodonga and T.K. Maxx, which pleaded guilty to breaking child employment laws.
Driving compliance
Putting authorised officers in the field continued to be a focus in 2023-24, with the regulator conducting over 450 child employment compliance monitoring activities across Victoria, a 16% increase on the previous year.
Officers visited businesses from Terang to Wodonga to Inverloch, and many places in between.
The Wage Inspectorate also:
- issued 883 child employment licences during the first year of the child employment licensing scheme, which replaced the permit system and enables businesses to employ multiple children under one licence, instead of needing a permit for each child they employ.
- audited over 650 engagements to ensure hirers of owner-drivers were complying with Victoria's owner-driver and forestry contractor laws, a 63% increase in audits from the previous financial year.
- invested in education; running awareness campaigns to help Victorians understand long service leave and child employment laws, releasing educative videos and website tools and engaging over 200 stakeholders.
Quotes attributable to Commissioner of Wage Inspectorate Victoria Robert Hortle
"We helped Victorians reclaim over $750,000 in unpaid long service leave – money that is rightfully theirs. It's great to see employees being empowered by the Wage Inspectorate to stand up for what they're owed."
"Long service leave is a long-standing Australian entitlement, and we helped Victorians across a wide range of industries. Whether you're a full-time worker in finance or a casual retail employee, you deserve your rightful entitlements."
"We continue to have a big focus on helping businesses understand the laws we enforce, from long service leave to child employment to owner driver laws. We directly assisted 12,000 people, with many more accessing our online resources."
