Operators of two Melbourne stores were fined more than A $ one hundred and thirty four thousand for paying only A $11 an hour to three foreign workers and nearly A $45000 less.
Seung-Geun Choi, owner of Photoplus Photography and Bread Kingdom Caf é in Melbourne's central business district, promised workplace law after being reviewed by fair work investigators in 2013.
But the federal circuit court found that two Photoplus employees, along with another at Photoplus and Bread Kingdom, were underpaid in 2016.
A Chinese employee with an exclusive visa to work in Photoplus and an TW student were underpaid by A $6920 and A $12578, respectively.
A Chinese citizen with a working holiday visa was also employed in the two stores and was paid A $25452.
Over all working hours, the three were paid a fixed hourly rate of A $11 to A $14 per hour. They should have been paid A $19 an hour, plus temporary and overtime work on weekends and public holidays. The three have received their arrears of pay.
In a ruling, Judge Philip Burchardt said employers did not have time and pay records, pay bills, and failed to comply with retail overtime pay rules and fair work laws.
"obviously, all employees are foreigners and their knowledge of the Australian workplace law is bound to be limited," Burchardt judge said.
Photoplus Australia was fined A $68520 and Choi Brothers, a company that runs Bread Kingdom, was repaid A $55404. Mr. Choi was fined A $10896.