Introducing Wage Inspectorate Victoria

NATIONAL VICTORIA

Robert Hortle has been appointed Victoria’s Inaugural Wage Inspectorate Commissioner.

From 1 July 2021, the Wage Inspectorate becomes an independent body responsible for promoting and enforcing Victoria’s:

• wage theft laws • child employment laws • long service leave entitlements • owner-driver, forestry contractor, hirer and freight broker obligations

Robert Hortle has stated that he will lead an organisation that helps employers understand their obligations, impartially investigates breaches of the rules and enforces the law fairly.

Victoria’s new wage theft laws

From 1 July 2021, employers who deliberately or dishonestly withhold wages or other employee entitlements, such as allowances, annual leave and long service leave, face a fine of up to $198,264 or up to 10 years jail for individuals and a fine of up to $991,320 for companies. It also becomes a crime to falsify or not prepare employee entitlement records to gain a financial advantage.

Victoria’s wage theft laws do not impose any new obligations on businesses beyond your current obligation to pay employees their lawful entitlements and keep accurate records. Honest mistakes made by employers who exercise due diligence in paying wages and entitlements will not be considered wage theft offences.

MGA members requiring any information about the new wage theft laws or any of the other laws in the Wage Inspectorate’s remit or information on pay rates, general employee entitlements, awards and workplace agreements, please contact the MGA IR Team on 1800 888 479