Pig-headed plumber cops $121,500 penalty after ripping off worker
“Seriously f–k off!” – that’s what Michael Pulis told a junior employee who asked when he would receive his stolen wages, and it has cost Pulis big time.
The Federal Circuit Court penalised the pig-headed Pulis and his Melbourne-based plumbing company $121,500 for underpaying the 20 year-old labourer $26,882 over a period of just three months.
‘Outrageous exploitation of a young person’
Judge Grant Riethmuller described Pulis’ conduct as “outrageous exploitation of a young person”.
Pulis told the young man that he was being hired as a second year apprentice, but never signed the proper paperwork.
He paid the worker an apprentice rate of $12.18 an hour, even though he was working as a labourer and was entitled to be paid much higher rates.
Under the relevant Enterprise Agreement, the young man should have been paid $37.08 for ordinary hours and up to $74.16 for overtime work.
Leave entitlements and meal and travel allowances were also underpaid.
After three months, Pulis told the young worker that his skills and attitude were not to a second year apprentice standard, and fired him.
When the worker later sent a text to
Pulis to ask when he would be paid his outstanding wages, Pulis responded by saying, “Seriously, f–k off. When I’m ready”.
Wage theft deliberate
Judge Riethmuller was scathing, ruling that the wage theft was deliberate:
“The conduct is worse than simply underpaying an employee who has had difficulty obtaining work elsewhere, as the respondents also held out the lure of an apprenticeship to this young man: a particularly significant career and life goal for a young person who is not academically inclined. The amount of the underpayment, in comparison to the payments actually made, is significant.”
Michael Pulis – pig-headed plumber and rip off merchant.
Apprentice exploitation common
Industrial relations advocate Miles Heffernan from WAGETHEFT.net.au said it was common for tradies to deliberately incorrectly pay labourers as apprentices.
“It’s a dishonest disgusting thing to do, and it usually happens to young people who are trying to get a start in a trade, and often don’t know their rights, or feel like they can’t speak up for fear of losing their job,” he said.
In this case, the young worker was back-paid after the Fair Work Ombudsman commenced legal action.
“Employers who exploit young workers deserve to feel the full force of the law, and I hope this penalty will make Mr Pulis think twice before he so blatantly and rudely rips off another young employee,” Mr Heffernan said.
If you have not received your proper wages and entitlements, or are considering legal action to recover stolen wages, we can help.
Please call our specialist team at WAGETHEFT.net.au on
1300 1 THEFT (1300 184 338)
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