On 1 January 2025 Wage Theft became a Criminal Offense in Australia
Young West Australians are frequently underpaid or asked to do unpaid work.
Just clean up those tables and wash the dishes before you go will you?
Wage theft is tricky
You usually like your boss and you are happy to stay back and do a bit of extra unpaid work after your official knockoff time.
Maybe your boss lets you have a free coffee or food.
Maybe you get to roster off when you have an exam coming up or a special event. Maybe they drive you home after they have closed the business for the day. A good workplace has flexibility that supports both the employer and employee.
When you suspect you are being ripped off, you may be prepared to wear it, because the cost of questioning their boss could be that you lose your job.
Employment conditions are often flexible. Determining if you are being ripped off could be difficult.
If you suspect you are being ripped off, the first place to go for advice is probably your union.
You don’t have to be a member to make an enquiry and they will be able to tell you who is best person to sort out the situation.
You can contact an Australian Union by calling 1300 486 466 or by visiting australian.unions.org.au.
Making deliberate wage theft a criminal offence is designed to give back some power to workers.
The Fair Work Ombudsman will provide employers with free information and advice on appropriate wages and conditions.
You can try to protect yourself from wage theft by getting you part time job with big employers, like McDonalds, Bunnings and Woolworths. These workplaces have human resource management systems, and managers who are trained to ensure your wages and conditions are correct. 
But each of these big employers has been found to unintentionally underpay workers.
Even big employers can make a mistake. But sometimes underpayment is not a mistake.
If employers deliberately underpay workers they can now be held criminally liable. On 1 January intentional wage theft became a criminal offence.
If you think you are experiencing wage theft in WA, you can contact:
| Wageline | Fair Work Ombudsman |
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- You can contact the Chamber of Commerce & Industry WA for advice on employment laws and other human resource matters.
- You can contact the Australian Taxation Office if your matter is about superannuation.
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