250 businesses in Melbourne’s Dandenong region will be audited by the Fair Work Ombudsman as part of a new campaign to check that employers are paying the correct minimum hourly rates, penalty rates, allowances, loadings and providing appropriate meal breaks.

Fair Work Ombudsman Natalie James says the Dandenong region is home to thousands of businesses and is a persistent source of requests for assistance from workers.

“It’s important we check that workers are being paid correctly, but we also want to be pro-active about ensuring employers understand their obligations,” said Ms James.

Ms James said “inspectors will make face-to-face visits to dozens of businesses during the campaign so they can offer employers tailored assistance to rectify any non-compliance issues and put processes in place to ensure they get it right in the future.”

As part of the campaign, up to 150 businesses across Perth’s southern suburbs
will also be audited, focussing on businesses located in and around Kwinana, Rockingham and Armadale.