Mon 10 Jun, 2019 10:31 pm
I started work for a small business back in January last year and have been with them ever since. They took someone on for administration so the owners wouldn't have to do as much work, but since then the husband no longer has anything to do with the business and the wife barely comes in to our site and just gets me to handle everything. I'm on minimum wage ($18,93) in Australia and only 20 hours a week with no flexibility compared to my other co workers, who are paid as subcontractors (even though they aren't and I'm pretty sure it's illegal) and can often have days off or change their hours around, making me cover for them.
The amount of work or my role is actually quite different than what it is on my contract be, e.g. I am pretty much the manager to my coworkers and the only one really keeping the business running at the bare minimum. They will not invest in marketing or advertising costs which we really need to because it's such a specialized/unique business. I honestly feel like it isn't going anywhere, I'm not going anywhere. I already spoke about my concerns to the husband on how much they put on me to deal with when I am not qualified to in the beginning of the year but nothing has changed.
I feel like I'm at a point where I can no longer stay with them, if I wasn't living at home I would not be able to afford to live anywhere else. I can't really save any money for a house. I've looked up how much I should get paid and it should be from at least $22.00 onwards which I will never get.
If you've got this far in the post, what do you think I should do?
@IWEYB,
Overworked and underpaid are two good reasons to see what else there is for you. A coworker once told me he was thinking about quiting. I said something about the fact that he would have to look for another job. He said "Hey, I was looking for a job when I found this one."
@IWEYB,
If you're being underpaid you should contact the Fair Work Ombudsman in your state. They will be able to tell you what the correct rate is and take action to get you that rate with back pay for the time you've been underpaid.
Also look for another job. This one sounds like it's going nowhere, and once you involve Fair Work it will probably be a bit uncomfortable.
The current minimum wage in Australia is $740.80 per week, which equates to a minimum hourly rate of $19.49. This minimum wage was set on May 30, 2019 and must be adhered to by all businesses operating in Australia.
Speak with both the husband and the wife, explaining your concerns.
Make sure you have a Plan B.
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