Fair Work Ombudsman reveals breaches in SA cleaning businesses

More than half the Adelaide cleaning businesses investigated by the Fair Work Ombudsman had breached workplace laws. Nearly $20,000 was uncovered for unpaid workers.

Nearly $20,000 dollars has been recovered for dozens of underpaid workers after an investigation into Adelaide’s cleaning industry revealed more than half had breached workplace laws.

The Fair Work Ombudsman investigated 17 commercial cleaning companies after concerns were raised about their compliance, including anonymous tip offs or customer inquires.

Of the companies investigated, 10 – or 59 per cent – were non compliant with workplace laws, and seven of those had underpaid their employees.

Two had also failed to meet pay slip requirements and record keeping requirements, and one breached pay slip record keeping laws.

Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker handed out eight compliance notices to rectify the underpayments which totalled $18,662.

Fair Work ombudsman Sandra Parker. Picture: Aaron Francis.

The largest back payment from a business was $7850 to nine employees.

Ms Parker said the contract cleaning industry was a compliance priority for the agency this year.

“Contract cleaning is part of an industry that employs a lot of migrant workers, who we know are at higher risk of exploitation,” Ms Parker said

“The cleaning sector has a significant history of noncompliance with

workplace laws,” Ms Parker said.

The companies are contracted across public sites including at shopping centres in the metropolitan area.

The most common breaches were failing to pay penalty rates and underpayments of hourly rates.