Commonwealth Bank call centre worker Adrian Thoen was devastated when he found out he was among thousands of workers at the nation’s biggest bank being underpaid to the tune of $16m.
Commonwealth Bank and CommSec previously said any instance of employees not being paid their correct entitlements was unacceptable and their remediation program started in 2018.
“In response to these issues, systems and processes have been strengthened and CBA and CommSec have not offered any new Individual Flexibility Arrangements for more than two years,” the bank said in 2021.
The bank and its subsidiary CommSec were fined a record $10.3m in the Federal Court in early 2024 after self-reporting Fair Work Act breaches, which the Ombudsman said were “committed knowingly and systematically”.
He hopes new laws will protect workers Criminal penalties for employers who deliberately underpay workers have come into effect, including up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $7.8m.
