Deloitte Private partner Liz Westover has said it is very important that employers allow up to 10 days when using superannuation clearing houses to make contributions to a super fund.
Being the end of June, if clients had previously relied on a particular clearing house, it might be worthwhile finding another method of paying those contributions.
Ms Westover said at the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand SMSF Day 2019 Workshop that “I always warn people about the use of clearing houses. They can be very useful for processing or distributing monies, it’s one payment and they disseminate all the information and monies to the super fund, but the fine print states that it can take up to 10 days to actually process those contributions.”
“I have seen people getting caught out by this one. They think that their Super Guarantee (SG) obligations are met on payment to the clearing house; it’s not. Your obligation for SG is met when the money hits the super fund.”
“So, if you’re relying on clearing houses, make sure you’re allowing for these 10 days. If you’re talking about the 28th day after the end of the quarter, you’ll actually need to meet those obligations by the 18th to make sure you’re meeting those obligations.”
In the lead-up to end of the financial year, Ms Westover said it is also important for SMSF members to confirm their employer contributions if they’re thinking of making personal super contributions so that they don’t inadvertently breach their concessional contributions cap.
“The real catch is that if you’ve got an employer who needs another tax deduction. So, I’ve seen situations where they will bring forward the contribution that they would normally make in July and they bring it forward to June so that they get the additional tax deduction in June; that will impact on people’s ability to make personal contributions,” Ms Westover explained.
“In previous years, it probably didn’t matter so much because people were ineligible to make personal super contributions due to the old 20 per cent rule, but now that they can, you need to be a little bit more alert to how those employer contributions are going in and what cap space you actually have for personal contribution.”
Our PaysOnline Payment Service (PPS) looks after your full superannuation processing and payment. This means not only will we calculate all types of superannuation liability such as your employer Superannuation Guarantee Charge (SGC) amounts, employee co-contributions and salary sacrifice but PaysOnline will also pay the liability on your behalf.
To see how PaysOnline can streamline your entire payroll process – contact us today for a quick quote.
Source: accountantsdaily
What Does the 2019 Federal Budget Mean for Superannuation
On Tuesday 2 April 2019, the Federal Government handed down its Budget for the 2019/20 financial year and we once again see changes to superannuation. The proposal is set to take effect from 2020-21 and is broadly positive in nature, aiming to increase contribution opportunities for those individuals aged between 65 and 74.
Work test exemption for individuals aged 65 and 66
The government has stated that from 1 July 2020 those aged 65 and 66 will be able to make voluntary super contributions without satisfying the work test requirement. The work test requires those aged 65 and above to have worked a minimum of 40 hours in a consecutive 30 day period.
Extension of the Bring-Forward rule
The government also announced that they will extend access to the ‘bring-forward’ arrangements, which currently allow those aged less than 65 to make 3 years worth of non-concessional contributions, which are capped at $100,000, to their super in a single year. This will now be extended to people aged 65 and 66.
What this could mean for you
Currently, you must be under 65 during a financial year to use the bring-forward rule. This change enables 66 and 67 year old‘s to boost their super in preparation for retirement, provided they meet other eligibility criteria. This change complements the work test exemption changes and is also stated to apply from 1 July 2020.
Extension of age limit for spouse contributions
The proposed changes also see that individuals will be able to contribute to their spouse’s superannuation where the receiving spouse is under the age of 75. The work test will continue to apply if the receiving spouse is aged 67 or over, however 65 or 66 they won’t have to meet this obligation.
What this could mean for you
Currently, to make a spouse contribution, your partner must be under the age of 70 at the time of the contribution, and must meet the work test if they are aged between 65 and 69. This change enables you to make spouse contributions for a further five years, giving you more opportunities to equalise your superannuation balances while potentially claiming a tax offset.
You can find out more about the Federal Budget for 2019/2020 here
To see how PaysOnline can help streamline your payroll processes, contact us today!
Source:
On the May 24 2018, Kelly O’Dwyer, the Minister for Revenue and Financial Services announced the commencement of a 12 month Superannuation Guarantee Amnesty (the Amnesty).
This is a one-off opportunity for employers to correct past super guarantee non-compliance without facing penalty.
Subject to the passage of legislation, the amnesty will run for twelve months from 24 May 2018.
Any employer who voluntarily discloses their previously undeclared Superannuation Guarantee (SG) shortfalls during the Amnesty and before the commencement of an audit of their SG will:
Employers must pay all employee entitlements, including the unpaid SG amounts owed to employees and the nominal interest, as well as any associated general interest charge (GIC). Outsourcing to a managed payroll provider such as ours means you will remain compliant against your obligations.
The Amnesty applies to previously undeclared SG shortfalls for any period from 1 July 1992 up to 31 March 2018. The Amnesty does not apply to the period starting on 1 April 2018 or subsequent periods.
Any employer who is not up-to-date with their superannuation guarantee payment obligations to their employees and who don’t come forward during this Amnesty may be subject to higher penalties in the future – generally, a minimum of 50% on top of the SG charged owed, O’Dwyer said. As a managed payroll service, we provide the option of paying super to your employees – correct and on-time, every time.
If you can pay the full SG amount directly to your employees’ super fund(s) then you can complete a payment form and submit to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) through their electronic business portal.
If you find that you are unable to pay the full amount, then you can complete and lodge a payment form wherein the ATO will contact you to discuss a payment plan. You can start payment before the ATO contacts you and this will reduce the GIC you would have to pay.
For more information visit the ATO’s website – https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Super-for-employers/Superannuation-Guarantee-Amnesty/
Single Touch Payroll (STP) is the new payroll reporting system that will be compulsory for all businesses employing 20 or more staff from 1 July 2018, or 1 July 2019 if you employ less than 20 staff. With the date fast approaching, it is important that your business is taking the steps to become STP compliant. A Managed Payroll solution, such as PaysOnline, can help make this transition a little easier for your business.
Single Touch Payroll changes the way you report Pay as you Go (PAYG) and Superannuation information to the Australian Taxation Office. The Australian Taxation Office are introducing STP in the hope it provides real time visibility over the accuracy and timeliness of an organisation’s payroll processes, and aims to knuckle down on employers not complying with their superannuation contribution obligations.
As of 1 July 2018, employers are required to report PAYG and super after every payroll process rather than reporting monthly or quarterly.
You don’t need to worry about whether STP will change the way you process your payroll, you can still do it weekly, fortnightly, or monthly. STP simply changes what your payroll process reports to the ATO.
PaysOnline has finalised its STP capabilities and have rolled have rolled them out to clients. Even though lodging of the reports won’t take place until 1 July – we want to streamline the process by familiarising clients with their additional responsibilities.
By outsourcing your payroll to a managed payroll provider such as PaysOnline, you can ensure you will meet your obligations.
Unlike other managed payroll providers, PaysOnline is ready now to help your business meet its Single Touch Payroll obligations. Request a meeting with us today to discuss a solution tailored to your business.
In this year’s budget the government announced plans to help Australians boost their savings for a first home deposit using their superannuation.
From 1 July 2017, individuals can make voluntary contributions to their superannuation account to purchase a first home. These contributions can be withdrawn for a deposit from 1 July 2018.
Up to $15,000 of voluntary contributions can be made in a financial year to count towards the amount that can be released.
The maximum amount that can be withdrawn is $30,000 in total of personal contributions plus an associated deemed earnings amount.
Many employees will be able to take advantage of salary sacrifice arrangements to make pre-tax contributions.
Individuals who are self-employed or whose employers do not offer salary sacrifice can claim a tax deduction on personal contributions, meaning savings effectively come out of pre-tax income.
However remember, any voluntary contributions under this scheme must be made within existing superannuation caps. The current concessional contributions cap is $25,000 in 2017-18. Concessional contributions are any pre-tax contributions plus the 9.5% employer contributions. The current non-concessional contributions cap (after-tax contributions) is $100,000 in 2017-18.
Concessional contributions and earnings that are withdrawn will be taxed at marginal rates less a 30 per cent offset.
PaysOnline can help you easily manage your employee voluntary superannuation contributions. Contact us today to find out more!
Understanding the Super changes from 1 July 2017
The changes to the superannuation system, announced by the Australian Government in the 2016–17 Budget, have now received royal assent. These changes were designed to improve the sustainability, flexibility and integrity of Australia’s superannuation system. Most of the changes will commence from 1 July 2017.
To help you understand the changes coming and if they will affect you we have an overview below:
Spouse Tax Offset
Current rules: Individuals can claim an offset up to $540 for contributions to spouse super fund if their total income including fringe benefits and reportable employer super contributions are under $13,800.
From 1 July 2017: Individuals can claim an offset up to $540 for contributions to spouse super fund if their total income including fringe benefits and reportable employer super contributions are under $40,000. To receive maximum offset of $540 their total income must be below $37,000.
For more information see the ATO website here.
Personal Super Contributions Deduction
Current rules: Individuals can claim a deduction for personal super contributions where they meet certain conditions. One of this conditions is that less than 10% of their income if from salary and wages.
From 1 July 2017: This condition will be removed. All other conditions will remain the same.
For more information see the ATO website here.
Low Income Superannuation Tax Offset (LISTO)
Current rules: The Low Income Superannuation Contribution (LISC) policy currently applies. Where an individual’s taxable income is below $37,000, a contribution will be paid to their super fund equal to 15% of their total concessional (pre-tax) super contributions up to a maximum of $500.
From 1 July 2017: The limits and contribution amount will remain the same, however the LISC policy will now be replaced by the new Low Income Superannuation Tax Offset (LISTO).
For more information see the ATO website here.
Transfer Balance Cap
Current rules: No cap currently applies
From 1 July 2017: A cap will be introduced on the total amount that can be transferred into the tax-free retirement phase for account-based pensions. For the 2017-18 year the cap will be $1.6 million and will be indexed in line with CPI in subsequent years.
For more information see the ATO website here.
Non-Concessional (after-tax) Contributions Cap
Current rules: $180,000 per financial year. Can bring forward future year caps to make contributions up to 3 times the cap in one financial year (i.e., pay $540,000 in 2015-16 and $0 in 2016-17 and $0 in 2017-18).
From 1 July 2017: $100,000 per financial year. Can bring forward future year caps only if:
For more information see the ATO website here.
Concessional (pre-tax) Contributions Cap
Current rules: $30,000 per financial year (if aged under 50 years old) or $35,000 per financial year (if aged 50 years old or over)
From 1 July 2017: $25,000 per financial year (all ages)
For more information see the ATO website here.
Carry-Forward of Unused Cap for Concessional Contributions
Current rules: No carry-forward rules currently
From 1 July 2018: Individuals will be able to carry-forward concessional super contribution caps if they have a total super balance of less than $500,000. They will be able to access their unused cap for a period of five years on a rolling basis. Any unused caps after 5 years will expire.
The first year in which you can access your unused concessional contribution cap is the 2019-20 financial year.
For more information see the ATO website here.
Co-Contributions
Current rules: To receive a government co-contribution you must:
From 1 July 2017: Current conditions will still apply but individuals must also have a total super balance of less than transfer balance cap and must not have contributed more than the non-concessional contributions cap.
For more information see the ATO website here.
Reduction of Division 293 income threshold
Current rules: Individuals with income and concessional super contributions in excess of $300,000 trigger a Division 293 assessment
From 1 July 2017: The threshold will lower to $250,000. If income plus concessional contributions exceed $250,000 an additional 15% tax will be imposed on the amount over the threshold up to the total of their concessional contributions not exceeding their concessional contributions cap.
For more information see the ATO website here.
Transition to Retirement Income Streams
Current rules: Where a member receives a Transition to Retirement Income Stream (TRIS), the fund receives tax-free earnings on the super assets that support it.
From 1 July 2017: The government will remove the tax-exempt status of earnings from assets that support a TRIS. Earnings from assets will be taxed at 15% regardless of the date the TRIS started.
Members will also no longer be able to treat super income stream payments as lump sums for taxation purposes.
For more information see the ATO website here.
Retirement Income Stream Products
Current rules: There are rules restricting the development of new retirement income products.
From 1 July 2017: The government will remove these barriers by extending tax exemption on earnings in the retirement phase of products such as deferred lifetime annuities and group self-annuitisation products.
For more information see the ATO website here.
Removal of Anti-Detriment Payment
Current rules: The anti-detriment provision enables a fund to claim a deduction in their tax return for a top-up payment made as part of a death benefit payment where the beneficiary is the dependent of the deceased. The top-up amount represents a refunds of a member’s lifetime super contribution tax payments into an estate.
From 1 July 2017: The government is removing this provision and funds will no longer be able to claim this deduction.
For more information see the ATO website here.
Australia’s largest petrol and convenience retailer, 7-Eleven, has signed a Proactive Compliance Deed with the Fair Work Ombudsman which will set a new standard for franchising in Australia.
The landmark agreement commits 7-Eleven to a range of measures designed to ensure all its workers receive their lawful entitlements through strong accountability for all operators across its franchise network and supervision by the Fair Work Ombudsman.
The measures include installing and overseeing biometric shift scanning systems and the roll out of 7-Eleven owned CCTV systems at all outlets in order to allow the head office to monitor employee hours and make sure workers are paid correctly.
The deed also implements measures aimed at overcoming the challenging and unlawful practice of ‘cash backs’ by workers to franchisees which were revealed by the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Inquiry Report into workplace non-compliance in the 7-Eleven network.
Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James said the commitments in the deed would help prevent the unlawful practices identified in the regulator’s April 2016 Inquiry Report, increase accountability across the entire franchise network and introduce a culture of compliance from head office down.
“The measures in this deed are the most robust and comprehensive that any franchise brand has in place in Australia,” Ms James said.
“The goal is to make sure franchisees pay workers correctly in the first place. As we noted in our Inquiry report, non-compliance in this network has been long term, extensive and systemic. Some franchisees have demonstrated they will go to extreme lengths to circumvent record keeping systems. The deed establishes a framework for 7-Eleven to detect, investigate and rectify underpayments within its network now and into the future. It also maintains commitments to backpay workers underpaid in the past.”
The actions required by the deed will ensure employees and franchisees understand their rights and obligations, including ensuring franchisees understand the wages costs associated with their store. It will make franchisees and Head Office accountable through new systems and oversight by the Fair Work Ombudsman. The measures include:
Improving systems and record keeping
Identifying Employees and Maintaining Employee Records
Fully implement a biometric time recording system that can ensure periodical verification of workers supported by a 7-Eleven owned and operated CCTV system. Franchisees will not be permitted to alter any systems owned by 7-Eleven.
Payment and Payroll Records
All franchisees must use a central payroll system which will specify lawful minimum rates of pay for all employees, and which cannot be manually altered by Franchisees. All payments to be made by electronic funds transfer, rather than cash.
Managing claims of underpayment:
The current 7-Eleven Wage Repayment Program will continue to receive and process all employee Claims submitted prior to 31 January 2017, as well as all Claims previously made to and received by the Panel. 7-Eleven will pay the aggregate Claim amounts approved through the 7-Eleven WRP on an uncapped basis and will report to the FWO at least quarterly regarding the outcome of Claims to the 7-Eleven WRP. Claimants who disagree with the outcome of a claim can seek review by the WRP and further review by the Fair Work Ombudsman if they choose. Note – to date, 7-Eleven has paid more than $55 million in wages to employees who were underpaid by 7-Eleven franchisees.
Internal Investigations Unit
An Internal Investigations Unit (IIU) will be established to ensure compliance in individual franchises by monitoring and detecting issues when and where they arise. From 1 February 2017 the IIU will receive and investigate claims from 7-Eleven employees and make franchisees accountable for any underpayments that have occurred. The IIU will report on all activity to 7-Eleven and the FWO on a quarterly basis.
Rectification of Underpayments
Where an underpayment claim is substantiated by the IIU, 7-Eleven will require the relevant franchisee to rectify any underpayment to that Employee within 30 days of service.
If the Franchisee fails to rectify the underpayment within 30 days of 7-Eleven having notified the Franchisee of the substantiated Underpayment claim, 7-Eleven will rectify the underpayment within a further 15 days.
Uncapped Payments
7-Eleven will ensure that it has funds available to enact prompt rectification of underpayments on an uncapped basis for all claims lodged with both the WRP and the IIU. 7-Eleven will report to the FWO on all amounts paid for the rectification of underpayments.
Acknowledgement and Accountability
Compliance with Commonwealth Workplace Laws
7-Eleven acknowledges its moral and ethical responsibility to ensure compliance with the law in relation to all employees and meet Australian community and social expectations
Auditing and Reporting to the FWO
7-Eleven will engage an independent auditor to conduct three annual audits throughout the duration of the Deed assessing compliance with Commonwealth Workplace Laws and applicable Fair Work Instruments. Within two months of the audit, 7-Eleven must provide the Fair Work Ombudsman with a summary report prepared by the auditor outlining findings and steps taken to rectify contraventions.
Internal Auditing and Risk Analysis
In addition, 7-Eleven must appoint a Senior Manager with responsibility for auditing time and payroll data. The Senior Manager will report to the 7-Eleven Audit and Risk Committee at least every six months and advise the Fair Work Ombudsman of any stores where serious non-compliance has been detected.
Reporting of Non-Compliance with Commonwealth Workplace Laws
7-Eleven will, at its own expense, establish and maintain a dedicated telephone hotline and email account service with interpreter accessibility to ensure that any person, including Employees and members of the public, may make enquiries, lodge complaints or report potential non-compliance with workplace laws, including underpayment of wages, at 7-Eleven Franchises. The hotline must have the capacity to receive, respond to and manage complaints made anonymously.
Access to Stores
7-Eleven will allow and facilitate Fair Work Inspectors access to its Franchises, stores or offices at any time for the purpose of the FWO verifying compliance with Commonwealth Workplace Laws.
Clear expectations for franchises
Wage Costs of Franchises
Prior to the sale of any new or existing Franchise, 7-Eleven will provide information to each prospective franchisee outlining the applicable minimum wages, loadings, penalty rates and overtime rates of pay for full-time, part-time and casual employees of each classification under the relevant Fair Work Instrument.
It will also provide detailed wage modelling, outlining the range of expected minimum wage costs required to operate the type of 7-Eleven store, details of the range of expected minimum working hours required to operate and details of the specific store’s income and expenditure data for a period of the previous two years. 7-Eleven will refer franchises to the IIU if wage costs fall below modelled figures.
Franchisee obligations to comply with workplace laws
The Deed calls on 7-Eleven to take reasonable steps to ensure that each franchisee signs a compliance commitment document certifying that its directors, officers and managers understand their obligations to comply with Commonwealth Workplace Laws; agrees to report to 7-Eleven on the details of the terms and conditions upon which each Employee is engaged; that directors and managers will not require or accept payments from Employees in respect of wages paid and acknowledge that such conduct is unlawful. They will also be required to register with the FWO’s My Account Portal so as to ensure they have access to current and accurate information about wage rates and entitlements.
7-Eleven has acknowledged the culture of underpayment and false records that had become normalised in its network and recognised it must do more to detect and fix the issue. It has also acknowledged it had not recognised the need for additional financial support for some stores and that these factors contributed to the exploitation of vulnerable workers.
Ms James said every person working in Australia had the right to receive the relevant entitlements relating to their occupation.
“The law requires direct employers pay all workers, including visa holders, their minimum rates of pay. The community also expects other entities that benefit from labour to take responsibility for making sure workers are paid properly. We are pleased that 7-Eleven has acknowledged this by agreeing to this Compliance Deed, entering into a partnership arrangement with the FWO which sets a new Australian standard,” Ms James said.
“With the government committing to new laws to enhance franchisor responsibility for workplace entitlements, I call on all franchises to consider what steps they might take to ensure their network is compliant. We are happy to work with any business that wants to take responsibility for compliance with workplace laws in its supply chain or network”
The Fair Work Ombudsman and 7-Eleven signed the compliance deed on Tuesday 6 December 2016.
© Fair Work Ombudsman www.fairwork.gov.au
With less than one month until the deadline for SuperStream compliance, one-third of Australian Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) are still running a risk of potentially not complying with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) regulations. PaysOnline managed payroll is Superannuation Payment Service gold certified SuperStream compliant and this is only one of the ways PaysOnline can streamline your business’ payroll process.
SuperStream legislation is aimed at improving the efficiency of the superannuation system. Under SuperStream, employers must make super contributions on behalf of their employees by submitting payments and reporting electronically in a consistent and simplified manner.
Whilst all employers are required by law to comply with this legislation by 1 July this year, MYOB’s latest Business Monitor research of more than 1000 Australian SMEs found that one quarter were unaware of the deadline, 17% of operators had not yet complied and 13% were unsure.
This figure was the highest amongst construction and trade businesses with an overwhelming 31% of SMEs in this industry not having complied with the ATO’s SuperStream requirements.
When asked why operators had not yet met the SuperStream obligations, more than a quarter – 27% – of SMEs found the process confusing, and a further 23% felt they did not have enough information.
SuperStream is the law for SMEs from 1 July, and it’s concerning to see so many at risk of non-compliance with the deadline just a few weeks away. Employers need to be taking action now to ensure they get their implementation right by 30 June.
The great thing about SuperStream is that it really simplifies workflows so when customers move to the latest version of any of our payroll products they will have the tools to be fully compliant and, in many cases, will also be able to spend less time dealing with employee data issues and fund queries and reduce the cost of processing contributions and payments.
PaysOnline managed payroll is Superannuation Payment Service is gold certified SuperStream compliant. Contact us today for a quick quote!
Further information on SuperStream is also available on the Australian Tax Office’s website. The ATO has also released the following short video:
According to new research, one of the biggest hindrances to the success of Australian businesses in Asia is a lack of understanding about Asia capabilities. This is particularly related to knowing which capabilities are critical to business success and how prevalent they are in the workforce.
The research – conducted by Diversity Council Australia (DCA) – surveyed over 2,000 Australian workers to generate the first ever National Scorecard of Australia’s Workforce Asia Capability.
‘Asia capability’ was defined by researchers as individuals’ ability to interact effectively in Asian countries and cultures, with people from Asian cultural backgrounds, to achieve work goals.‘Asia’ was defined broadly to include North East Asia, South East Asia and South Asia India, Pakistan.
Key findings included: Seven of Australia’s top ten export markets are in Asia. The region also constitutes 66% of the total export market.
Although one in ten Australian workers have “excellent” Asia capability, one third have none or very little. Almost two-thirds of workers have little or no working knowledge of how to effectively manage in Asian business contexts.
Overall, Australia’s workforce scored three out of five for Asia capability.Senior executives and managers were more likely to have a higher Asia capability.
Asia capable talent is available – employers are advised to seek out workers who have lived and worked in Asia, or who can read, write or speak and Asian language at basic proficiency level or higher.
However, fluency in Asian languages is low, with just 5.1% of Australian workers being fluent in one or more Asian languages.
According to DCA, having business interests in Asia does not guarantee Asia capability. Workers in organisations with Asian business interests are less likely to have excellent Asia capability compared with workers in an organisation with an Asian head office.
“There is too much talk and not enough action,” researchers claimed. “While a fifth of workers said their organisations valued the Asia capability of their workforce, fewer said their organisation was likely to effectively use these capabilities.”
DCA advised employers looking to improve their Asia capability to focus on existing Asian-identifying talent, and to recognise and reward workers who have lived and worked in Asia or have Asian language proficiency.
Source – HC Online
Outsourcing your payroll to a managed payroll service like PaysOnline helps ensure you remain complaint to your obligations as an employer. To avoid situations such as the one below, contact PaysOnline today for a quick quote!
A fast food shop in Bendigo paid staff as little as $11 an hour because the employer believed it was the ‘going rate’, a Fair Work Ombudsman investigation has found.
The employer, who was new to the business, told Fair Work inspectors he was unaware of the Fast Food Industry Award, minimum hourly rates or penalties. A random audit of the business as part of the Fair Work Ombudsman’s national hospitality campaign found that four part-time and casual employees were paid between $11 and $15 an hour.
They were entitled to a minimum of between $15.74 and $22.48 for normal hours and between $20.77 and $29.67 for work on Sundays. Collectively, they were short-changed more than $8000, with individual underpayments ranging from $582 to $3004.
Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James says the employer has been educated about his workplace obligations and since reimbursed all outstanding entitlements. She says the case study highlights the importance of Goldfields region businesses taking the time to ensure they understand the wage rates applicable to their workplace.
“Employers also need to be aware that they are not able to enter into agreements which undercut minimum lawful entitlements,” Ms James said.“We would encourage anyone establishing or operating a business to seek advice and assistance if they are unclear about their responsibilities.
“When we find mistakes, our preference is to educate employers about their obligations and assist them to put processes in place to ensure they are compliant in future.”
Other recent recoveries in the Goldfields region include:
$7800 recovered for 16 office cleaners in Bendigo who were underpaid their travel and shift allowances as well as their overtime penalty rates,
$8800 for seven casual food and beverage workers in Bendigo who were underpaid their minimum hourly rates, late night and weekend penalty rates, and
$9000 for a two farm hands at Clunes who did not receive overtime penalty rates, leave loading or their full personal leave entitlements.
Ms James says the Fair Work Ombudsman can assist employers with accurate, reliable information that is easy to access, understand and apply.
Source: Fairwork
