SA pubs called out for dodgy JobKeeper practices towards workers during COVID-19 shutdown

Hotels and motels around the state have been exploiting the emergency JobKeeper program, a union boss has told parliament – and she’s revealed the most common scams.

• Boss accused of trying to get a slice of worker’s $1500 payment

The dodgy practices of some South Australian hotels during the coronavirus pandemic have been laid bare during a parliamentary committee hearing.

United Workers Union national director and South Australian secretary Demi Pnevmatikos outlined numerous examples of pubs and motels rorting the Federal Government’s JobKeeper scheme.

She said “consistent themes” included employers:

APPLYING for JobKeeper funding and keeping some or all of the money for themselves instead of passing it on to their workers;

ONLY applying for the scheme for favoured workers and not others;

NOT applying for the program at all even though they were likely eligible;

FORCING workers to radically alter their work hours or perform different types of work for which they are unqualified or it is unsafe; and

ADVISING workers their employment will be terminated when the JobKeeper scheme ends in September.

“A member at one Adelaide pub was stood down in March this year; told by her employer that they were applying for JobKeeper but not sure if they were eligible,” Ms Pnevmatikos said.

“In early May, the employer issued her with a termination letter that was backdated to early March – they claimed that they couldn’t get a loan from the bank to pay their staff during COVID-19.

“It transpired that the employer had in fact received JobKeeper and had been passing on payments to other employees.”

The union had lodged an unfair dismissal claim on behalf on this member.

One hotel employee was given a termination letter, while their JobKeeper payments were taken by the employer. Picture: iStock

“Another member, who is a father with a small child, employed at a drive-through bottle shop in Adelaide was directed to work different hours under JobKeeper enabling directives,” Ms Pnevmatikos said.

“The man had no one to care for his young child every second Saturday so asked his boss for a variation to his hours under compassionate grounds.

“His boss responded with, and I quote, ‘don’t try that with me’.”

The union intervened and the employer allowed the variation.

Meanwhile, a worker from an Adelaide motel was told by her manager that the company was “not going to bother to apply for the JobKeeper scheme because it was of no benefit to the business”.

“So they were just going to close the business during COVID-19 and not pay their staff during this time,” Ms Pnevmatikos said.

Furthermore, Ms Pnevmatikos said just last Thursday staff at a “prominent beachside pub” were sent a letter from their employer.

“And I quote, ‘Dear JobKeeper recipients, as COVID-19 restrictions relax we expect all employees on JobKeeper to work 25 hours per week’,” she said.

“Going forward, if you are unable to commit to 25 hours, on average, per week through July, August and September to the end of JobKeeper payments, it would be advisable to send a written resignation letter and we will withdraw your name from JobKeeper’.”

Ms Pnevmatikos said she understood the letter had also been sent to workers at each of the company’s six hotels in SA.

“So here we have an employer who has over many years implemented a casualised and precarious employment model, they’re now compelling employees to work a set number of hours despite being employed as casuals and writing to them to let them know that they plan to commit wage theft,” she said.

Some casual workers were told that if they could not commit to a certain number of hours per week, they should resign. Picture: iStock

Ms Pnevmatikos said the union was also pursuing this matter.

She said these the examples were “not just isolated incidents by single rogue employers”.

“There are thousands more members who have contacted our union and sought advice and representation over the last few months,” she said.

“There are, however, too many workers in hospitality who are scared to speak up for themselves because they have personally experienced or have witnessed others experience years of precarious employment, insecurity, exploitation, noncompliance and anti-worker practices in this industry.”

The Australian Taxation Office has set up a hotline for vulnerable workers to report dodgy bosses trying to rort the JobKeeper program. To report such behaviour, call 1800 060 062.