Pay and Conditions Health and Safety Personal Impact Financial Security Paid Fair: false Safe work: true Predictable Roster: true Bills ok: true Legal Employment: false WorkSafe: false Childcare: true Accommodation ok: false Could speak up: false Could speak up: true Leave: false Future secure: false Solution Stronger penalties for sham contracting and cash payments. Give teeth to the Fair Work Ombudsman to eliminate the burden of low-paid employees potentially having to fight for fair treatment in court. Story I was contracting with an ABN but to one employer only more than a year ago. I had been working informally under a cash arrangement for a few months. I was told that to legitimize my payments I would need to sign up for an ABN and invoice them as a subcontractor. The rate of pay was below award rate and had no superannuation attached, nor leave benefits. In hindsight, this was certainly a sham arrangement, though that fact was lost on me at the time, as I was only 19. The matter became relevant over 7 years later when I was made redundant from the same employer, as the period of sham contracting resulted in a dispute over long service leave entitlements. The matter was settled out of court for an amount less than the full entitlement would have provided, had no dispute been able to arise. No pay at all over Christmas when the office shut down. No sick leave at all and wages were too low to offset that inconvenience. This happened in Melbourne. This happened in the Entertainment industry. We need stronger penalties for sham contracting and cash payments. Give teeth to the Fair Work Ombudsman to eliminate the burden of low-paid employees potentially having to fight for fair treatment in court. Submission URL: 054(iii) Melbourne (received via CFMEU) Civil construction Employed through a labor hire agency by Strategy one @ Kingston
Pay and Conditions Health and Safety Personal Impact Financial Security Paid Fair: false Safe work: true Predictable Roster: true Bills ok: true Legal Employment: false WorkSafe: false Childcare: true Accommodation ok: false Could speak up: false Could speak up: true Leave: false Future secure: false Solution Stronger penalties for sham contracting and cash payments. Give teeth to the Fair Work Ombudsman to eliminate the burden of low-paid employees potentially having to fight for fair treatment in court. Story I was contracting with an ABN but to one employer only more than a year ago. I had been working informally under a cash arrangement for a few months. I was told that to legitimize my payments I would need to sign up for an ABN and invoice them as a subcontractor. The rate of pay was below award rate and had no superannuation attached, nor leave benefits. In hindsight, this was certainly a sham arrangement, though that fact was lost on me at the time, as I was only 19. The matter became relevant over 7 years later when I was made redundant from the same employer, as the period of sham contracting resulted in a dispute over long service leave entitlements. The matter was settled out of court for an amount less than the full entitlement would have provided, had no dispute been able to arise. No pay at all over Christmas when the office shut down. No sick leave at all and wages were too low to offset that inconvenience. This happened in Melbourne. This happened in the Entertainment industry. We need stronger penalties for sham contracting and cash payments. Give teeth to the Fair Work Ombudsman to eliminate the burden of low-paid employees potentially having to fight for fair treatment in court. Submission URL: 054(iii) Melbourne (received via CFMEU) Civil construction Employed through a labor hire agency by Strategy one @ Kingston