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Recent revisions to the award should have consigned handwritten timesheets to the past, the Fair Work Ombudsman says.
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FWO fines farms almost $80,000 for payslip breaches
12 December 2022
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The Fair Work Ombudsman has fined farm employers almost $80,000 for breaching payslip and record-keeping laws after investigating hundreds of agricultural businesses across Australia.
Its most recent investigations focused on 237 operations in the Sunraysia region of Victoria, South Australia’s Riverland, and Coffs Harbour and Grafton in NSW.
The FWO issued 31 infringement notices for unlawful record-keeping and payslips and fined Sunraysia businesses $35,964, Riverland $22,644, and Coffs Harbour and Grafton $19,754.
Previously, the FWO had warned agricultural employers to consign timesheets and handwritten rosters to the past after changes to the Horticulture Award in April.
Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker said employers needed to ensure they were complying with the updated guidelines.
“Record-keeping is the bedrock of compliance,” she said. “Employers who fail to meet these obligations are more likely to be underpaying, whether intentionally or not.”
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“It is concerning that inspectors needed to issue close to $80,000 in fines to employers.”
Ms Parker praised employers who had installed systems to maintain compliance.
“We are pleased to see that some farmers have used technology to make it easier to pay their workers correctly under the award changes,” she said.
“We commend those who do the right thing and hope other farmers are encouraged by these practical methods to ensure compliance.”
Ms Parker said some farms were now scanning worker identity cards to clock them in and out in response to the revised award.
“Compliance levels so far have been high in the regions of Moreton Bay and Wide Bay in Queensland, and we expect employers in other states to similarly meet all their obligations to their workers, including by investing in their time-and-pay systems.”
“Fair Work Inspectors will continue their inspections in various hotspots throughout 2023, and any employers who need assistance meeting their obligations should refer to our free resources and contact the FWO directly if they need help.”
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