The former operator of a Melbourne dental practice has been penalised $5,355 and ordered to back-pay a former 457 visa-holder $32,889 plus interest, following legal action by the Fair Work Ombudsman.
The Federal Circuit Court imposed the penalty and back-payment order against Dr Ari Masters, who formerly operated the No Brace Centre dental clinic in the Melbourne CBD.
Last year, the regulator took Nobrace Centre Pty Ltd and Dr Masters to court after Nobrace failed to comply with a Compliance Notice requiring the dental clinic to back-pay a Chinese employee who had been underpaid over a two-year period. Fair Work Ombudsman Sandra Parker said the matter should serve as a warning to employers about the consequences of disregarding Compliance Notices.
“As recently announced, Fair Work Inspectors are increasingly using Compliance Notices to address underpayments and we will not tolerate them being ignored,” Ms Parker said.
“The clear message to employers is that if you don’t comply with the terms of a Compliance Notice, we won’t hesitate from taking you to court to enforce them and seek additional penalties.”
Source: Melbourne-Dentist-penalised.pdf