Fair Work Inspectors to audit 1600 retail, hair and beauty salons

Approximately 1600 retail, hair and beauty salons in NSW, Victoria and Queensland will be audited by Fair Work Inspectors over the next 12 months after previous audits showed more than 50 per cent of salons failed to comply with workplace laws.

The campaign will be conducted in two phases, with audits to be conducted in waves. Acting Fair Work Ombudsman Michael Campbell said the first phase was already underway and the campaign would take approximately 12 months to complete.

“The retail, hair and beauty sectors have been selected for audit because they employ high numbers of workers, particularly young people and workers from migrant backgrounds,” Mr Campbell said. “In addition, previous audits into hair and beauty businesses and the retail industry have found high levels of non-compliance.”
“In 2013 the Fair Work Ombudsman released the results of a national hair and beauty campaign which identified an overall industry non-compliance rate of 55 per cent.”

Fair Work Inspectors are contacting employers and requesting a sample of employee time and wages records for assessment against the Fair Work Act and Fair Work Regulations 2009 and the applicable award or agreement. The Inspectors are checking that employers are meeting their obligations, including in relation to:

• minimum wages
• penalty rates and overtime
• overtime rates
• pay slips and record-keeping

The Fair Work Ombudsman conducts both National and State and Territory campaigns to check employment records and ensure businesses are complying with Australian workplace laws. A national campaign currently in the compliance phase is also reviewing the Textile, Clothing and Footwear industry so it’s apparent the Ombudsman is taking a proactive approach to employer obligations on wages and record-keeping.

If you’re seeking information on the type of employee data required during a Fair Work audit, why not check out the self-audit checklist from the Fair Work Ombudsman’s website:

https://www.fairwork.gov.au/ArticleDocuments/715/Self-audit-checklist.pdf.aspx