As Christmas and New Year approach, millions of Aussie workers are being urged to check their pay slips carefully. Why? Because over $30 million in wages could be at risk if employers fail to pay workers what they’re legally entitled to during the busy holiday period. So, what\u2019s really going on, and how can you make sure you’re not getting shortchanged?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A new study from Unions NSW has found that if workers miss just one hour of their public holiday penalty rates over the Christmas and New Year period, it could result in a staggering $30 million in lost wages. That\u2019s a serious amount of cash, and it affects more Aussies than you might think. The festive season sees many industries\u2014especially hospitality\u2014facing heavy workloads, with employers sometimes trying to cut corners when it comes to paying workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s particularly common in industries like hospitality, where younger, casual workers, and migrants are more likely to be employed. According to Thomas Costa, assistant secretary and employment lawyer at Unions NSW, this problem occurs year after year. \u201cIt\u2019s almost universal in the hospitality industry in major cities,<\/em>\u201d Costa says to Yahoo Finance<\/a>. \u201cThese industries are predominantly younger workers and casual workers, and increasingly migrant workers, workers on visas, who often feel that they have less say and ability to stand up to their employer when they\u2019re being underpaid.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n