Fast food, restaurants and cafes, franchises and sham contracts are among the key priorities for Fair Work Australia in 2019/20, according to the Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker. 

Vulnerable workers will continue to be the main priority, as the FWO plans to break down on industries such as fast food, restaurants and cafes, horticulture and the harvest trail. 

The above industries have specifically been described as the “priority industries”. 

Meanwhile, prioritised issues in 2019/20 will include supply chain risks, franchisors and sham contracting. 

“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,” Ms Parker said.

“If an employee comes to us and says they haven’t been paid and their employer is giving them the run around, we have the power to compel records. If these records are deficient in some way, we can issue a penalty infringement notice, and if an Inspector forms a reasonable belief that there’s been an underpayment, the Inspector can issue a compliance notice,” Ms Parker added. 

FWO will publicly name employers who break the law to make it a deterrent for other employers who underpay workers and deprive their entitlements. 

Further, to address underpayments, breaches of awards and the National Employment Standards, compliance notices will take on a bigger role in 2019/20. 

“Where an employer is issued with a compliance notice, the onus will be on them to get their house in order. We are going to simplify these notices so it’s easy for employers to understand what they need to do, but if they don’t comply with the terms of our compliance notice, the Fair Work Ombudsman won’t resile from taking them to court to seek penalties,” Ms Parker said.

The FWO recognised the increased powers and more resources given to them by the Parliament, as both the Prime Minister and the new Minister for Industrial Relations are prioritising “law enforcement and adherence with Australia’s industrial relation laws”. 

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