Australian bosses could go to jail for up to 10 years and be slapped with a $1.65 million fine if they "deliberately" underpay their workers, as part of new laws that take effect on January 1.

Australian bosses could go to jail for 10 years and be fined $1.65 million if they “deliberately” underpay their workers, as part of new laws that nationally criminalise wage theft from January 1.

The new laws and penalties follow years of underpayment scandals in Australia, with cases at prominent employers including Woolworths, Chatime, Qantas, NAB, BHP, 7-Eleven and the ABC.

  • jonne@infosec.pub
    21·
    9 days ago

    The only people that hate it are the Chamber of Commerce. They probably also ‘slammed’ the abolition of slavery back in the day, so I don’t see why they get to feature in the headline instead of the workers, government agencies and academics who are all for it.

  • Bronzebeard@lemm.eeEnglish
    16·
    9 days ago

    If an employee steals from the till, they’d go to jail.

    If an employer steals from all it’s employees pockets, they just have to pay back the money they stole. Only if they’re caught. There’s no incentive NOT to.