Payroll ‘Calamity’: Woolworths, Coles Underpayments Scandal Deepens

Woolworths and Coles failed record-keeping obligations on overtime, court finds

The Federal Court has handed down a judgment on four cases against the supermarket giants, who are accused of rampant underpayment of employees.

Payroll ‘calamity’: Woolworths, Coles underpayments scandal deepens

The latest Federal Court ruling has served as a warning that major employers and retailers must keep accurate staff rosters.

Court ruling on underpayments a ‘calamity’ for Coles

The supermarket giant may have to pay hundreds of millions of dollars more as a judge says its failure to record overtime was on the company, not its employees.

Coles, Woolies staff stuck in mass underpayment case

Allegations of rampant employee underpayment at Coles and Woolworths that affected almost 30,000 staff remain unresolved two years after a lengthy trial.The Federal Court today handed down a judgment on four cases against the supermarket giants after a watchdog argued there was tacit approval of illegal conduct in many stores.Woolworths and Coles have repaid $330 million and $7 million respectively to managers who were not properly paid entitlem…

'Unacceptably complex': Federal Judge rules on Coles, Woolworths wage case

Supermarket giants Woolworths and Coles failed to comply with their obligation to keep accurate employment records, a Federal Court judge has ruled, in a long-awaited verdict on a case brought against the companies by the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO). The FWO commenced proceedings against the two grocery giants in December 2021. It relates to the alleged underpayment of salaried managers in Coles’ supermarkets and the interpretation of the General …

Court decision on supermarket pay underlines need for award simplification

The long-awaited Federal Court decision regarding the historical underpayment of salaried workers under the General Retail Industry Award, released on Friday, has revived calls for an overhaul of awards that impact businesses in many sectors.  Industry groups are concerned that small family-run businesses are equally at risk of breaching awards due to their complexity. The case was brought by the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO), which commenced procee…