New Wage Theft Bill Passed By Victorian Parliament

With much recent debate at the Federal and State level about criminalising employee underpayments, on 16 June 2020, the Victorian Parliament passed the Wage Theft Bill 2020.

While there is significant overlap between the jurisdiction of the Victorian Wage Inspectorate established under the Wage Theft Bill and the Commonwealth Fair Work Ombudsman, particularly in respect of the requirement to pay employee entitlements and the requirement to keep accurate records regarding employee entitlements, these obligations can form the foundation of criminal offences under the Wage Theft Bill.  Further, the Wage Theft Bill defines "employee entitlements" and "employee records" broadly, and so will also encompass employment obligations under long service leave and superannuation legislation.