Gami Chicken & Beer has back-paid $233,087 to workers after the Fair Work Ombudsman investigated 19 outlets.
The brand, which has 15 outlets in Melbourne, two in Sydney and two in Perth, came to the Ombudsman’s attention after receiving anonymous reports and a number of requests for assistance from workers.
It was found that all 19 outlets underpaid staff and 15 outlets did not meet payslip and record-keeping obligations, with the most common breaches including underpaying penalty rates and underpaying the minimum hourly rate.
$216,847 was recovered for 241 Melbourne workers; $6,879 for 43 Sydney workers and $6,779 for 55 Perth workers.
“Inspectors found that Gami Chicken & Beer operators had simply not prioritised meeting their lawful obligations to their workers,” says Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Paker.
“A lack of awareness is not a valid excuse for a business to breach workplace laws. The FWO expects all employers to comply with workplace obligations …”
Inspectors issued 18 compliance notices requiring the employers to rectify the breaches of the law, resulting in the workers being back-paid.
10 formal cautions were issued along with nine fines totalling $25,410.
One business is currently still under investigation and could face legal proceedings.