West Australian food service businesses with apprentices are being urged not to delay registering their new apprentices.

Western Australian Fair Work Ombudsman director, Leigh Quealy, said his office has encountered more than 10 cases this year of employers delaying or completely failing to lodge apprenticeship agreements for young workers.

“Only registered apprentices can be paid apprentice rates, but we are finding some employers paying at this level despite not having officially registered their workers,” he said.

“When inspectors come across cases where employers have been erroneously paying a worker apprentice rates for some time, the business can find itself faced with a significant underpayment.

“The employer ends up being hit with a hefty bill for back-payment of wages that was not budgeted for.”

Quealy said that despite receiving their proper entitlements, the young workers also suffer because they often have to start their formal apprenticeship again.

“Some employers seem to think they can pay apprenticeship rates if the intention is to sign an apprenticeship agreement and that agreements can be back-dated,” he said.

“This is often not the case. The Department of Education and Training’s ApprentiCentre determines whether apprenticeships can be back-dated on a case by case basis.”

Several cases of this happening include a young s electrician being paid apprentice rates for four months despite his employer not lodging an apprenticeship agreement. The employer had to back-pay the worker $5412.

While a young plumber was back-paid $4425 after his employer delayed lodgement of the apprenticeship agreement by four months.

Quealy said the issue is state-wide across a variety of industries, with several complaints coming from apprentices in industries including electrical trades, construction and hairdressing.

Employers or employees seeking information or assistance should call the Fair Work Infoline on 13 13 94 or visit www.fwo.gov.au. For translations call 13 14 50.