Underpaid work in young Australians still a reality

A new report from the University of Melbourne’s Fair Day’s Work Project has revealed widespread underpayment among young workers. One in three respondents earned $15 an hour or less and nearly half reported working unpaid overtime.

Just last week, there was a $5.5 million backpay settlement for regional supermarket workers, highlighting how common these breaches are.

The settlement followed years of misclassification and unpaid entitlements, with more than 500 IGA workers across regional South Australia finally receiving compensation for wages they were legally owed.

 

Image: Source: Pexels – Quang Nguyen Vinh

Produced By: Jordan Zerella

Featured In Story: Professor John Howe – Professor in Labor Law at the Melbourne University Law School, and Jordan Mumford – Spokesperson for the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association

First aired on The Wire, Thursday 17 July 2025