The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has launched legal proceedings against regional New South Wales supermarket operator Kinsfolk Retail Pty Ltd and two company directors over the alleged underpayment of a Nepalese temporary-visa holder by more than AUD 93,000. Court documents claim the Narrandera IGA employee routinely worked 51–77 hours a week between August 2021 and May 2023 but was effectively paid a flat AUD 15 hourly rate—well below the General Retail Industry Award, which ranged from AUD 22.33 for ordinary hours to AUD 58.45 for public-holiday overtime. Annual-leave accruals, meal-break entitlements and laundry allowances were also allegedly ignored. FWO inspectors say the business attempted to conceal the arrangement by issuing falsified pay slips that reported only four bank-transfer hours per week at the proper rate, with the remaining wages paid in cash. Kinsfolk Retail has since reimbursed the worker in full, but the regulator is seeking penalties of up to AUD 82,500 per contravention for the company and AUD 16,500 for each director, with an initial directions hearing set for 2 October 2026. The case underscores the Albanese Government’s sharpened focus on protecting migrant labour. In the eight financial years to June 2025, the FWO filed 171 litigations involving visa holders and secured AUD 39 million in penalties; 88 of those cases alleged deliberate accessory involvement by company officers. For global-mobility managers, the message is clear: underpayment and record-keeping breaches affecting foreign staff trigger aggressive enforcement and reputational risk. Multinationals with Australian operations should audit payroll systems, ensure Award compliance for all sponsored and temporary workers, and verify that labour-hire providers meet Fair Work Act standards. Practical tip: visa holders worried about entitlements can lodge anonymous reports in 16 languages on the FWO’s migrant-workers portal, while employers can use the agency’s Pay Calculator and Small Business Showcase to check rates and obligations.
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman
