Specialty fashion retailer Mosaic Brands has been found guilty of 324 offences of underpaying long-service leave to 223 workers.
Mosaic Group’s brands include Katies, Millers, Noni B, Rivers, Rockmans, Crossroads, Autograph, W.Lane, EziBuy and Beme.
According to SMH, the Downing Centre Local court found that while the underpayments were “not deliberate”, they occurred due to a “lack of care and diligence relating to the retail group’s payroll obligations”.
The court found the offences were “serious and widespread” and fined the retailer $29,000.
In a LinkedIn post, the NSW minister for industrial relations, Sophie Cotsis, said the state government is “committed to standing up for workers and investigating businesses who’re short-changing their staff”.
“The criminal court’s ruling is a reminder to employers, big and small, that they should be making sure their employees are receiving their full entitlements.
“Long service leave applies to most NSW employees who are full-time, part-time or casuals. It is up to the employer to conduct their own internal compliance reviews on a regular basis to make sure they are paying long service leave correctly.”
A spokesman for Mosaic Brands said: “The court was clear in highlighting what happened was not deliberate, and that the company cooperated fully to swiftly rectify the issue.”
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