Criminalising Wage theft

This webinar will provide a clear and practical overview of the criminalisation of wage theft in Australia and what it means for employers, payroll teams, and business owners. With wage underpayment increasingly coming under legal and public scrutiny, new laws are being introduced to treat deliberate wage theft as a criminal offence in several states and federally from 2025.

We’ll explain what constitutes wage theft—including underpayment of wages, unpaid overtime, failure to pay penalty rates or superannuation—and how it differs from honest payroll mistakes. The session will cover the legal changes, including the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Act 2023, and how the federal government plans to criminalise deliberate underpayment.

This is a must-attend session for any business wanting to avoid legal risk and reputational damage. The webinar will also provide a checklist and resources to help employers stay compliant, respond to concerns, and create fair, transparent pay practices across their workforce.