Two cooks at two separate restaurants in Campbelltown in NSW have been reimbursed almost $10,000 after investigations by the Fair Work Ombudsman found they were being underpaid.
The first cook lodged a complaint with the Ombudsman when he was not paid penalty rates or overtime. After inspectors contacted the restaurant, the employee was reimbursed $6,400 without the need for further action.
In a separate and unrelated case, a second Campbelltown cook has been back-paid more than $3,200 after claiming she was not paid for all hours worked. The employer disputed the worker's claim, but after Fair Work inspectors assisted her to lodge a claim through the Small Claims Tribunal, she has been repaid all money owed.
Fair Work Ombudsman NSW director, Mark Davidson, says the underpayments were the result of a lack of understanding by the employers of their legal obligations, including pay rates.
"That's why the Fair Work Ombudsman places such a strong focus on educating and assisting employers to understand and comply with workplace laws," he said.
