26/06/2025
๐๐ช๐ข ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐
The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has been doing spot checks on small businesses across six cities to see if employers are keeping proper records. If you have staff, now is a good time to make sure everything is in order.
Around 50 businesses were visited in locations such as Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Hobart, Adelaide, and Cairns. Inspectors focused on retailers and service businesses such as butchers, florists, bakeries, phone repair shops, beauty salons and car washes. These types of businesses often hire younger staff or migrant workers, who may not always be aware of their rights or feel confident in speaking up.
Inspectors checked pay slips, timesheets, and whether employees had received the correct ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ and ๐พ๐๐จ๐ช๐๐ก ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ก๐ค๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ. When records were missing or poorly kept, employers received fines on the spot. The penalties can range from $1,878 for an individual issue to $9,390 for a company.
The FWO indicates that missing or sloppy records are often a sign that there could be underpayments or other issues. In the last financial year, they issued 760 fines nationwide, totalling nearly $1 million.
This is not about punishing honest mistakes. It is about making sure businesses are following the law and treating their workers fairly. Keeping good records also makes your life easier when it comes to payroll, audits and sorting out any mistakes quickly.
