Brisbane’s Federal Circuit and Family Court has imposed a $15,984 penalty on Navaneeth Gogikar, the former operator of a United Petroleum outlet in Sunnybank Hills, after he provided falsified employment records to a Fair Work Inspector.
The penalty follows an investigation by the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO), which revealed that Mr Gogikar knowingly supplied misleading pay slips showing different rates of pay for a young Indian international student than what was actually paid.
It is further reported by Fair Work that Mr Gogikar also failed to keep proper records or issue pay slips for two other young Indian visa holders he employed between 2019 and 2021.
Fair Work Ombudsman Anna Booth said the case highlights the serious consequences of poor record-keeping and deliberate deception. “We have no tolerance for employers who knowingly provide our inspectors false records,” Ms Booth said.
“Employers need to understand that protecting young and migrant workers is a priority.”
The litigation against Mr Gogikar is part of a wider FWO investigation into United Petroleum outlets, which audited 20 sites across Tasmania, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
Earlier court actions have already resulted in $179,221 in penalties for underpayments at two Tasmanian outlets, while other cases in Adelaide and Melbourne remain ongoing.
Over the seven financial years to June 2024, the FWO filed 146 litigations involving visa holder workers, securing nearly $23 million in penalties.
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