"A Queensland restaurant operator who claimed a worker ate too much food and used too much air conditioning has been fined $21,000 after refusing to reimburse the underpaid staffer."

Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James said that deliberate exploitation of vulnerable workers would not be tolerated.

"The owners of Fire and Stone restaurant at Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island illegally paid a Chinese backpacker $10 an hour in 2014."

As an adult casual employee, she should have been on at least $22 per hour.

What bastards.

John Smith wrote on Jul 12^th, 2016 at 1:41pm:


Devious business operators would ensure the business had no assets so 3 strikes would not work for the real deviants.

Squire wrote on Jul 12^th, 2016 at 3:41pm:


the business itself is an asset ... take the restaurant along with all the equipment, the business name, furniture and any money in the accounts etc. whilst still making the owners liable for any liabilities the busness owes at the time they lose it.

the aim is not to take businesses off people, the aim is to incentivise them to play by the rules.

John Smith wrote on Jul 12^th, 2016 at 3:48pm:


Present laws are sufficient.

Shrewd and devious operators would manipulate their financial behavior in those cases so that the bank would be the loser by declaration of bankruptcy.

The last thing Australia needs is more laws and regulations to strangle legitimate business.

Once government takes possession of a business its worth becomes zero. Many small businesses are only solvent because of the work input by the owners and their family. Take that away and the business is worthless.

Gordon wrote on Jul 12^th, 2016 at 3:57pm:


it's reality

Squire wrote on Jul 12^th, 2016 at 3:57pm:



what bank? I don't plan on involving banks. If the owner borrowed money to finance the business, he still owes the bank the money and that's for them to sort out.

My idea is to keep it simple, the govt. takes the assets, the owner is left with the liabilities. I think many of these scam artist would think twice about underpaying staff if they were going to lose their business (and in most cases their livelihood). Under the current system sure we fine them $20k .... but how much additional profit have they made by underpaying other staff over the years?  Some of these places ripp off staff to the tune of 100k a year  and get away wih it for years .. whoop de doo if they get a 10k fine.  If risk losing their assets there is no longer any incentive for them to rip off staff.

from the business point of view it requires not a second of extra work or expense since they should be paying the correct money anyway. Far to often the staff get ripped off while the owner gets rich. I don't mind owners getting rich, but not at someone else's expense

John Smith wrote on Jul 12^th, 2016 at 4:09pm:



If I had 100 post done, I'd post a gif of someone scratching their head.