By Danielle Bowling

The Fair Work Ombudsman claims the Korean national felt “compelled” to pay back a portion of her wages, as she was concerned her employer would cease to sponsor her 457 visa if she didn’t. Image: www.theaustralian.com.au

An overseas worker employed as a cook on the Gold Coast was allegedly required to pay back more than $21,000 of her wages to her employer in an exploitative cash-back scheme.

The Fair Work Ombudsman claims the Korean national felt “compelled” to oblige, as she was concerned her employer would cease to sponsor her 457 visa if she didn’t.

The visa-holder was engaged on an annual salary of $49,330, but was allegedly required to pay a portion of her wages back to her employer in cash every week. She allegedly made cash-back payments of between $111 and $715 a week, depending on the hours she worked. The result was that she was allegedly paid between $15 and $18.50 an hour and resulting in a total underpayment of $29,587 over 19 months.

Read more here.

This story first appeared in Hospitality Magazine.