The Fair Work Ombudsman has secured $38,500 in court penalties against the former operators of a United Petroleum outlet in Queenstown, Adelaide, after an investigation uncovered staff underpayments and other workplace breaches.
As per Fair Work statement, the Federal Circuit and Family Court imposed a $35,000 penalty on Sai Enterprises Pty Ltd, which previously ran the outlet, and a $3,500 penalty on the outlet’s former manager, Raman Monga.
The FWO’s audit revealed that in 2021 the company failed to pay three international student workers a total of $2,668 in accrued but untaken annual leave at the end of their employment, in breach of the Fair Work Act’s National Employment Standards.
It is further reported that Sai Enterprises also failed to provide pay slips within one working day of payment and did not have written agreements for part-time staff.
As per Fair Work statement, Mr Monga was penalised for his role in the annual leave underpayments and the pay slip breaches. The affected workers have since been fully back-paid.
“All employers must ensure they pay staff all lawful entitlements and provide pay slips, which are essential for workers to check if they’ve been paid correctly,” Fair Work Ombudsman Anna Booth said in a statement.
Booth added that protecting migrant workers is a priority, and anyone with concerns about entitlements should contact the FWO for free assistance.
Judge Stewart Brown said the penalties were necessary to deter similar conduct, noting the underpayments were significant for the workers and might not have been detected without the FWO investigation. He also emphasised the central role of pay slips in maintaining minimum wage standards.
This case is one of five legal actions the FWO has taken against former operators of United Petroleum outlets following audits of 20 outlets across Tasmania, Queensland, NSW, Victoria, and South Australia.
Earlier cases in Tasmania resulted in $179,221 in penalties, while a Brisbane outlet operator was fined $15,984. A Melbourne case remains ongoing, as does one of the FWO’s investigations.
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