7-Eleven Franchise Fined Heavily for Illegal Work Practices

This week a 7-Eleven store whose owners systematically exploited workers has been fined more than $400,000. This is one of the largest penalties imposed by the Fair Work Ombudsman in Australia.

The 7-Eleven store owner, Mr Sheng-Chieh Lo and his company Mai Pty Ltd have been fined on the basis that the:

• underpaid 12 employees a total of $82,661
• implemented “a business model that relied upon a deliberate disregard of the employees’ workplace entitlements”
• persistently attempted to deceive Fair Work inspectors
• supplied Fair Work inspectors with numerous false records to cover-up underpayments
• displayed “no suitable credible expression of regret”
• showed “a contemptuous disregard of Australian workplace laws”

This is not the first time 7-Eleven has been in the news for underpaying employees. In August 2015, a joint Fairfax and Four Corners investigation uncovered systemic wage underpayments of international students at stores across Australia.

Lo’s Brisbane store was one of twenty 7-Eleven outlets targeted by Fair Work inspectors for surprise night-time visits as part of a tri-state operation.

Read the full ABC News article here.