A Beenleigh glass glazing company and its director have been hit with $116,550 in penalties for failing to comply with Fair Work Compliance Notices affecting four workers.
The Federal Circuit and Family Court ordered AAA Aussie Emergency Glass Pty Ltd to pay $99,900, and imposed a further $16,650 on company director Michael Ronald Boehm. The company, which also trades as ‘Aussie Printing Stickers & Signs’, ‘Beenleigh Glass’ and ‘Upper Class Tradesman’, was also directed to back‑pay $7,594 plus interest to the four workers.
The court found the business breached the Fair Work Act by failing to comply with Compliance Notices requiring it to calculate and pay outstanding minimum entitlements, and by failing to comply with a Notice to Produce issued during the Fair Work Ombudsman’s investigation. Mr Boehm was found to be involved in all but one of the contraventions.
The case marks the second time the workplace regulator has secured penalties against the operator. In 2016, AAA Aussie Emergency Glass was fined $35,500 for failing to comply with a Fair Work Commission order to compensate an unfairly dismissed worker.
In the latest matter, three of the affected workers were long‑term employees — two glaziers and an office manager — while a fourth worked as a construction worker for two months. A Fair Work Inspector issued Compliance Notices in late 2020 and again in 2021 after forming a belief the employees had been underpaid annual leave entitlements, and that one had also been underpaid personal leave.
Fair Work Ombudsman Anna Booth said business operators who ignore Compliance Notices face court sanctions as well as back‑paying staff. “We do not tolerate the failure to act on Compliance Notices, and we will continue to take legal action to protect employees’ hard-earned wages,” Ms Booth said.
“This case highlights that employers who fail to act on these notices risk substantial penalties in addition to being ordered to back-pay workers.
“Any employees with concerns about their pay or entitlements should contact the Fair Work Ombudsman for free assistance.”
In his judgment, Judge Gregory Egan noted that although the sums owed were modest, deterrence is important regardless of the amounts in question.
The Ombudsman said employers can access guidance on meeting their legal obligations, including an online course explaining Compliance Notices, as well as tools such as a pay calculator and resources tailored for small businesses.
