A crackdown on wage theft
Ensuring your employees are paid the correct wages is not only an incredibly complex task but wage theft and salary compliance is also the focus of a crackdown by federal and state governments.
Over a two-year period, the Fair Work Ombudsman recovered over $1 billion dollars in unpaid wages and entitlements for workers. Wage theft legislation in Queensland and Victoria has criminalised underpayments, and recent amendments have introduced criminal offences into the Fair Work Act for pay, entitlement and record-keeping contraventions involving intentional conduct.
Businesses of all sizes can face potential legal action, severe penalties, and reputational risk if they underpay workers. Employers will have until 1 January 2025 to prepare and strengthen their payroll due diligence and governance arrangements.
So how can you ensure you’re doing the right thing, especially where your workforce is covered by a host of industrial agreements and modern awards? Is your due diligence and governance of this vital area up to scratch? Is wage compliance a priority to avoid leaving employees out of pocket for salary and superannuation – and to demonstrate integrity and fairness?
WTW Pay Comply® can help
WTW’s Pay Comply can give you peace of mind. Our expert team will guide you through the complex regulatory landscape, and assess and audit your payroll compliance, including your superannuation obligations.
We partner with the right stakeholders across your organisation to reduce the burden on your payroll team, and provide expert guidance to help you avoid time-consuming and expensive underpayment issues.
