Upper East Side Bondi Instagram model owner allegedly underpaid workers
In its heyday Upper East Side Bondi was the place to be and the place to be seen for Instagram influencers, celebrities and rich-listers, but employees claim their wages were stolen.
NSW
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The Instagram model owner of a former high society bar popular with the rich and powerful is facing more allegations she stole wages from employees and lied to the authorities about it.
The former socialite bar Upper East Side Bondi and owner Julia Gelonese are now the subject of more court action after employees – international students from Asia and the United Kingdom – allegedly went months without pay.
In court documents the Fair Work Ombudsman alleges Gelonese “misled” investigators multiple times and failed to pay her employees a total of $24,412, underpaying the minimum wage workers in 2020.
It is the second time the business and Gelonese have been taken to court over similar claims after the business effectively shut down last year.
They were fined $26,460 in that case at the Federal Court on Thursday.
“It is disappointing that we have again had to commence litigation for alleged breaches of compliance notices by this company and director,” Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker said.
“Providing false or misleading information, as alleged, is a serious offence and we will hold employers to account.”
Before its closure, Upper East Side Bondi was billed by Gelonese and her boyfriend Ussi Moniz Da Silva as an exclusive enclave for Sydney’s rich and powerful.
In its heyday it was the place to be and the place to be seen for Instagram influencers, celebrities and rich-listers.
Away from the hashtags however, the business was the subject of several complaints from low-income employees who claimed they were underpaid for their shifts, overtime, penalty rates and casual loadings.
The Ombudsman also alleges Gelonese provided “false or misleading” information 12 times before eventually paying some of the money back in August 2021 – eight months after being hit with a compliance notice.
According to court documents Gelonese allegedly sent screenshots of bank transfers to Fair Work investigators claiming to have “rectified” all the entitlements owed to her former employees.
The Ombudsman claims those transfers did not fully account for the total underpayments.
Earlier this year the business again faced financial ruin when a disgruntled creditor wanted the bar placed into the hands of liquidators over a huge bill for oysters.
The seafood stoush was due to be heard in the Brisbane Supreme Court in July but the creditor M & G Oyster Supplies abandoned the winding-up order.
It followed another dismissed winding-up order against Gelonese’s company in October 2019 by a meat supplier.
At the same time of the alleged underpayments Gelonese and Mr Moniz Da Silva opened up Meu Jardim in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, boasting of a $4 million fit-out job.
Mr Moniz Da Silva was formerly a director of Upper East Side Bondi.
When previously contacted about the claims, Gelonese said she had been “thrown under the bus” by Fair Work.
The case is due to be heard in the Federal Court next year.
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