FWO sends warning shot, handing out $185k in fines for dodgy job ads

With fines having doubled over the past year, the Fair Work Ombudsman has issued a stern warning to employers: stop posting job ads with unlawful pay rates or risk being caught out.

More than $185,000 in fines have been handed down since new laws targeting job ads with unlawful pay rates came into effect, with the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) issuing warnings to employers to strengthen their compliance standards.

In the 2024–25 financial year, the workplace regulator issued 318 infringement notices to employers for advertising jobs with unlawful pay rates, resulting in a total of $111,306 in penalties.

This represents more than double the number of fines issued the previous year, when the FWO handed out 156 penalties worth nearly $74,000 in 2023–24.

Under Australian workplace laws, all advertised pay rates must meet or exceed the minimum standards set by industrial awards, enterprise agreements, or the national minimum wage, depending on the type of employment.

Fair Work Ombudsman Anna Booth warned that the regulator is taking a zero-tolerance approach to wage underpayments, determined to ensure workers are paid fairly and businesses meet their legal obligations from the very start.

“Stamping out job ads that offer dodgy pay rates prevents workers from being underpaid from the get-go and ensures a fair playing field for businesses that are doing the right thing,” Booth said.

“Employers have the clear obligation to advertise only lawful pay rates, and those doing the wrong thing are being hit with fines.”

Keeping prevention at the forefront, Booth added that the FWO has been in discussions with “major job platforms and called on them to increase their efforts to prevent unlawful job ads appearing”.

The regulator emphasised that fast food, restaurants, and cafés continue to remain a key focus, given these sectors employ a “high number of vulnerable workers, including young people and migrants”.

This focus follows the FWO issuing a $660 fine to a fast food outlet in 2024–25 for advertising casual kitchen hand roles at $17 per hour – nearly $15 below the minimum award rate.

To help businesses comply with wage laws, the FWO encourages employers to make use of its tools and resources, including a pay calculator for determining correct minimum rates and the Small Business Showcase hub, which provides compliance guides.

The FWO highlighted that anyone can report unlawful job advertisements anonymously and in multiple languages via its website, helping to prevent and address this pervasive issue.