"Former cleaning business operator faces court"

The Fair Work Ombudsman has commenced legal action against the former operator of a cleaning business in Sydney for an alleged breach that impacted migrant workers...

The regulator investigated after receiving requests for assistance from three migrant workers Ms Pather employed on a casual basis as cleaners in May-June 2023.

A Fair Work Inspector issued a Compliance Notice to Ms Pather in October 2023 after forming a belief that she had underpaid the workers’ minimum casual hourly rates, owed under the Cleaning Services Award 2020.

The workers were in Australia on working holiday visas at the time. They included a Taiwanese national and a Chilean national.

The Fair Work Ombudsman alleges Ms Pather, without a reasonable excuse, failed to comply with the Compliance Notice, which required her to calculate and back-pay the workers’ entitlements…

…failing to issue pay slips to one of the workers during her employment...

The FWO is seeking penalties in court.

For the alleged failure to comply with the Compliance Notice, Ms Pather faces a penalty of up to $9,390. For the alleged pay slip contravention, Ms Pather faces a penalty of up to $16,500…

A directions hearing is listed in the Federal Circuit and Family Court in Sydney on 13 August 2025...