Art of Hair salon manager faces court for third time over underpaying staff

The company is facing a penalty of up to $46,950, while its manager is facing up to $9390.

The post Art of Hair salon manager faces court for third time over underpaying staff appeared first on Inside Retail Australia.

The company operating the Art of Hair salon in New South Wales and its manager are facing court for underpaying an employee.

The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) has initiated legal action against The Art of Hair–Bateau Bay company along with its current manager Nelvin Lal and former director Cheri Rance. This is the third time the FWO has taken legal proceedings against Lal.

The FWO previously received a report from an apprentice hairdresser at the salon, who claimed she was not paid personal leave entitlements during her employment from April 2021 to February 2022. The staff also said she was not paid accrued but untaken annual leave entitlements when her employment ended. 

In July last year, a Fair Work inspector issued a compliance notice requiring the company to calculate and pay the worker’s entitlements. The firm did not comply with the notice without reasonable excuse, and Lal and Rance were alleged to have been involved in the wrongdoing.

The FWO is seeking penalties of up to $46,950 for The Art of Hair–Bateau Bay and up to $9390 each for Rance and Lal.

The regulator is also seeking an order for the company to pay amounts allegedly owing to the employee, plus interest.

The FWO secured $68,440 in penalties against Lal and a company he managed in 2021 and another $162,000 in penalties against him and three hairdressing companies in 2014. The regulator also secured a $23,500 penalty against a company formerly operated by Lal in 2016.

• Further reading: ‘Systematic failure’: 85 Degrees franchisor fined $1.44 million for wage theft 

The post Art of Hair salon manager faces court for third time over underpaying staff appeared first on Inside Retail Australia.