CQUniversity signs EU to correct more than $1.3m in underpayments

Central Queensland University is the latest tertiary institution to sign an enforceable undertaking with the FWO, which has increased sector surveillance in recent years.

More than 1,000 employees of Australia’s largest regional university will see their underpayments rectified as the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) signs yet another enforceable undertaking, the latest dictating more than $1 million in backpay, in addition to interest and super.

The university, which has 13 campuses in regional and metro regions, first conducted a compliance review in 2023, self-reporting a range of entitlement underpayments including that of base salary rates, leave and loading, public holiday, overtime, academic promotion and progression, and casual minimum engagement in April 2023.

Affected employees – which included visa holders and young workers – included casual, permanent and part-time workers, employed within academic, educational, professional, or advisory capacities, and covered by the university’s 2012, 2017, or 2023 enterprise agreements.

The reported underpayments ranged from less than $1 to over $60,000.

According to the university, the non-compliance was caused by incorrect configuration of its payroll system, over-reliance on manual processes, staff turnover and staff errors.

CQUniversity has already fulfilled more than $1.2 million in backpayments to 875 current or former employees, with over $96,300 yet to be paid back as of 29 May 2026.

In addition to addressing compliance issues, an initial contrition payment of $30,000 and the lower of either $100,000 or 1 per cent of any additionally detected underpayments have also been pledged to the Cleaning Accountability Framework.

The EU further commits the university to completing its remediation program, the establishment of a dedicated wage integrity team and governance framework, the improvement of payroll systems, the engagement of internal and external auditors, increased compliance resourcing, and direct communication with affected employees and unions concerning rectification.

FWO Anna Booth said: “CQUniversity deserves credit for engaging cooperatively with us, committing resources to identify and rectify underpayments, and strengthening its systems.”

“Improving workplace compliance in the university sector has been an extended priority for the Fair Work Ombudsman, and we’ve made important progress nationally including through Enforceable Undertakings like this one.”

Most recently, the University of New South Wales entered into an EU to fulfil more than $30 million in staff underpayments, with the FWO noting that more than ten Australian universities had entered into Enforceable Undertakings since its 2022 prioritisation of systemic non-compliance in the sector.

Booth said: “We expect employers to take sustained and proactive steps to ensure staff receive their full lawful entitlements.”

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