Beauty salon owner fines

A TWEED Heads South nail and beauty salon owner has been ordered to repay an employee $27,000 plus interest for multiple breaches of workplace laws.

The Chief Industrial Magistrate’s Court ordered the repayment for eight award breaches relating to underpaid wages, overtime rates, public holiday entitlements and weekend penalty rates.

New South Wales Industrial Relations Minister Paul Lynch said the successful prosecution showed that breaches of workplace laws were a serious matter.

“While most employers want to do the right thing, some fail to comply with basic legal requirements, which results in employees not being treated fairly,” Mr Lynch said.

Labor Duty MLC for Tweed Amanda Fazio said the prosecution was a reminder of the need for employers to understand their obligations under the national industrial relations system.

“Regular workplace visits give employers an opportunity to discuss the new workplace arrangements, identify potential problems and rectify any breaches of employment law before legal action is taken,” Ms Fazio said.

She said businesses not doing the right thing would be caught out.

“Those that continue to ignore minimum legal standards will be prosecuted and risk costly legal action,” she said.