From a recent Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) audit of 626 businesses in some parts of Australia, which included towns in the mid-western regions such as Coonabarabran, Gloucester, Dubbo, Narrabri, Wellington, Moree and Gunnedah and from the mid-north coast, Taree and Port Macquarie, a shocking 48% have failed to comply in full with workplace laws.
Twenty-three percent were found to be non-compliant throughout the mid-western region, whilst in the mid-north coast area twenty five percent of businesses showed poor bookkeeping practices.
This audit came about as part of the Fair Work Ombudsman education and compliance campaign which was put into place to help employers make sure they are getting the basics right.
The Workplace and Basics initiative checked the wage and time records of randomly selected businesses from chosen business types that covered a wide range of industries though with a focus on sectors with potentially large numbers of vulnerable workers, including the employment of migrants, students and casuals. A specific area paid special attention to was the cafe and restaurants’ sectors including fast food businesses. Other businesses involved within service industries and labour supply chains were considered ripe for auditing as well.
FWO Natalia James says, “Businesses must be aware that recent legislative changes mean that penalties for serious breaches, as well as those for record keeping and payslip breaches, have significantly increased.”
BOSS offers a new online bookkeeping service which offers firms a qualified bookkeeper for a minimum of fifty hours work per month. It’s called the Freedom Service where clients pay only on a fixed fee basis rather than on an hourly basis meaning your firm can save on budget overruns and eradicate write-offs and also eradicates paying out on annual and sick leave and other paid occasions such as public holidays. It really is an off of Freedom!
