Like the US, Australia also has a big problem with staff in 'unskilled' roles being treated like disposable dish towels (gotta wring every last bit out before you fling them at the bin) due to the endless stream of backpackers looking for work (pre Covid). Most of the staff I worked with were either backpackers or students, as anyone who could afford to quit would immediately do so. In Australia, staff can be employed on a 'casual' basis; 25% extra hourly wage, but with no sick pay, holiday pay or health benefits, and can be let go any time for any reason.
I was employed by a river cruise company that owned 3 large Mississippi-style paddle wheel boats, and one ex-ferry that could pass for an oversized bath tub on a good day. The owner wasn't a malicious person; he was just so unbelievably selfish that if he had to extinguish someone who was on fire, he would ask what he would get in return for paying for the water to put out the fire. He wouldn't go out of the way to spite you though; he considered himself far too busy and important to pursue anything that didn't directly increase his profits. He had previously owned several restaurants in a different Australian state, but all had gone bankrupt for various reasons that he claimed 0% responsibility for.
For starters, all staff were paid significantly less than minimum wage, which was achieved by using the head office location in a different state and employing staff under the incorrect award (Victorian marine law instead of Queensland hospitality laws). If you raise this with any of the bosses, you are instantly fired. Australian law also requires employers to contribute to staff superannuation funds (basically pension schemes); although these deposits were shown on payslips, neither myself nor my coworkers have ever seen a single cent of it. If you ask about it, you are instantly fired. Since almost all staff were employed on a casual basis, they had no grounds to complain or fight back.
When I started with the company, I was employed on a casual basis, however when my visa restrictions changed, I was switched to a salary. To prevent any full time staff member from becoming too complacent, the owner refused to give anyone a written contract… so that they could be instantly fired at will. Holidays were to be taken at a time that was “convenient for the company”. Spoiler alert: there is no time that is convenient for the company. He claimed we were always preparing for the next holiday (“we're in the lead up to Valentines Day/ Mothers Day/ Christmas/ Australia Day etc”). Sick pay was a sick joke. No amount of doctors notes could convince him that you weren't fit to work, thankfully he was kind enough to inspire his injured staff with stories of how he had suffered a worse injury and had kept working, so they had no right to complain. I asked for two days off after new year because I I knew I was in serious danger of harming myself and needed to visit the hospital, and was accused of “not being present when the company needed me”. I was also badly injured on the job by the carelessness of another staff member; the owner told me that if I wasn’t taking Valium for the pain, then it couldn’t be that bad.
The owner also paid a handful of his salaried staff part of their wage in cash, but would insist on skipping weeks at a time and then catching up later, then insisting that he had already paid; most staff said that they only received 2 out of 4 monthly cash payments as it was impossible to convince the owner that he was due them money. He was a smart man- he knew full well who was owed what- but he would rather have the money in his pocket than in someone elses.
As he refused to pay anyone more than the bare minimum, he wouldn't have mandatory training sessions in marine law and safety as the staff would have to be paid- instead, they were issued on a voluntary basis in the 45 minute unpaid breaks between the lunch and dinner shifts. Staff who didn't attend were fired for “not being committed enough”.
Unfortunately, there is no happy ending to this story. I had to leave when my visa ended, and was told that I could stay and work without a valid visa (illegally), and he said would pay me cash (but half of what I was earning because it wouldnt be taxed). No amount of consequences to his actions could convince this man that he wasn’t doing his staff a favour; no amount of doctors notes, could convince him that you hadn’t taken time off work to spite him.
Backpackers in Australia: please beware. Some employers are good, but plenty of them will see you as nothing but a cog in their machine.
Feels good to vent. Thanks for reading.