The Fair Work Ombudsman has named its focus for the next financial year. With a promise of a stronger approach to enforcement and more resources, the Ombudsman will be looking more closely at a number of industries and issues. It might be time to get a HR review. These are:
- Fast food, restaurants and cafes
- Horticulture and the harvest trail
- Supply chain risks
- Franchisors; and
- Sham contracting.
Not surprisingly, the Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker, recently highlighted that vulnerable workers will continue to be a priority for the agency. She went on to outline that the Ombudsman will use its full powers to publicly name employers who have broken the law in terms of pay and entitlements and added that employers doing the wrong thing will get caught.
Ms Parker gave a strong warning to employers, stating “So if you are in one of our priority industries, operate a franchise system or employ large numbers of migrant workers, you should expect to hear from us”. Expect that this is additional to the other tip-offs the Ombudsman receives throughout the year.
Industryus HR recommend that any business which operates in the fast food, restaurant or cafe industry, the horticultural industry, businesses supplying labour for hire, franchise businesses and any business hiring contractors should have a HR review completed. This review should focus on pay and contracts being audited and corrected where errors are found.
If you need assistance with a HR review, Industryus HR offers a free consultation so that you can understand what is involved. For more information call us on 07 5655 4047 or send us a message here.