Fair work ombudsman in Chicken Treat ruling
Chicken chain to back pay staff.
Following a ruling by the Fair Work Ombudsman.
A spokesperson for Australian Fast Foods, owner of the chain says ‘The agreement to enter a proactive compliance deed with the Fair Work Ombudsman follows a statewide audit program undertaken in September 2013 by the Ombudsman across a number of brands, including some Chicken Treat stores owned and operated by Australian Fast Foods...The audit found that while Chicken Treat employees were being paid in line with the Chicken Treat Employees, SDA Agreement 2009 – which was negotiated in consultation with employee representatives, the employees’ union and endorsed by Fair Work Australia – some of the transitional base pay rates under the agreement were not compliant with the subsequent Fast Food Industry Award 2010. This meant that some categories of employees were inadvertently underpaid...When advised of the audit findings, Australian Fast Foods acted immediately to pay back the entitlements of existing employees for the period dating back to July 2013.A further audit will now examine employee payments dating back to 2010 and any necessary corrections will be made... Australian Fast Foods has a strong commitment to fairness in the workplace and transparent dealings with our employees”.
