Former KFC workers from one of Melbourne’s busiest stores are accusing managers of altering their pay slips to cut costs.
The employees, which include a former shift supervisor, claim the fast-food giant altered their time sheets to avoid paying penalty rates.
It’s the latest in a string of cases involving workers being underpaid, following legal action by a 20-year-old Grill’d employee.
A 20-year-old former shift supervisor, who did not want to be identified, worked at KFC for two years from 2012.
She said on a number of occasions managers at the Swanston Street store would reduce her hours on the time sheet, evidenced in a series of text messages. After she became a supervisor, she was encouraged to do the same thing.
“Shift supervisors were instructed to audit time sheets and make sure no one exceeded 10 hours in one day.”
On one shift in early 2014, the former worker says she had an argument with her manager Simon Dickson.
“I asked him why the time sheet said I worked less hours than I did, then he explained to me that I had gone overtime. And they can’t go overtime so he had to take my hours off and put it on the next week,” she said.
She said the extra hours were added onto another week’s time sheet so she would still be paid, but without the penalty rate she was supposed to receive.
A series of text messages between a former KFC worker and her manager in 2014
If stores didn’t comply, the university student says managers and shift supervisors would recieve “warnings”. The consequences, she says, included employees being allocated less work hours in the future.
Another former worker, 17, alleges he was underpaid while working at the same store. He says on one occasion he approached senior restaurant staff about the discrepancy, and his wage was then fixed.
Most of the CBD’s KFC stores, including the Swanston Street outlet, are run by franchisee the Retzos Group.
City Journal put the allegations to Retzos area manager Grehem Vendersey who oversees the store but he said he was not aware of any illegal practices.
Restaurant manager Mr Dickson was also contacted, but he denied the claims and said workers caught tampering time sheets would be terminated. But he did confirm that time sheets could only be changed in store, and not by KFC’s human resources department.
Managers at KFC’s Swanston Street store are accused of altering time sheets to avoid paying penalty rates | Photo: Sam Cucchiara
Vulnerable young workers not aware of rights: Ombudsman
The Fair Work Ombudsman confirmed it had not commenced any legal action against KFC, but said the allegations would be investigated if a complaint was made.
“The Fair Work Ombudsman treats underpayments of young workers very seriously because they can be vulnerable if they are not fully aware of their workplace rights or are reluctant to complain,” a spokesperson said.
“For young workers, every cent counts, so it’s important to know what you are entitled to, including minimum hourly rates and extra pay for overtime, weekend and public holiday work.”
The ombudsman recommends keeping a diary of shifts worked, including start and finish times, to help ensure pay slips add up.
When asked about why she had not contacted the ombudsman to make a complaint, the former worker said her contract prevented her from doing so.
“I didn’t want to lose my job, I needed the money.”
She also said many other workers were unaware of their rights.
“They don’t even know what a union is,” she said.
“You can’t be sacked or treated adversely for asking about your pay, conditions or contacting the Fair Work Ombudsman for advice,” a spokesperson said.
In a statement, KFC said it has requested details from franchisee Retzos about the allegations.
“KFC is one of the country’s largest employers of young people and we are absolutely committed to treating all our people decently and fairly,” a spokesperson said.
