Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker said the regulator would continue to enforce workplace laws and take business operators to court where lawful requests are not complied with.

The affected Bangladeshi-origin worker generally worked six days a week often performing more than 50 hours work per week.

“Where employers do not comply, we will take appropriate action to protect employees. A court can order a business to pay penalties in addition to back-paying workers.”

The two affected workers were paid flat rates as low as $15 per hour, which resulted in underpayment of the junior hourly rates, casual loadings, and weekend and public holiday penalty rates.

Of the businesses in breach of workplace laws, eight had underpaid their workers and three had failed to meet pay slip and record-keeping requirements.

The FWO investigated after receiving a request for assistance from the affected worker.

Underpayments by David Jones and Politix, as well as more broadly in the Country Road Group, were reported by the companies to the Fair Work Ombudsman in September 2020.

It is alleged that total underpayments of the 14 staff were $154,424, and ranged from $927 to $30,140 for individuals.

The worker, who was aged 23 when he commenced his employment, had been underpaid annual leave entitlements under the Fair Work Act’s National Employment Standards.

This legal action follows a case for exploiting young students under the guise of a purported internship arrangement.