Crackdown on hospitality pay announced by Fair Work Ombudsman to protect vulnerable employees

The Fair Work Ombudsman has announced a crackdown on the work rates paid by Australian cafes, restaurants and catering companies.

The ombudsman will send inspectors to almost 1,500 hospitality workplaces to check businesses are paying employees appropriately.

Spokesman Kevin Donnellan says they will check whether employers are paying the correct hourly award, shift loadings and penalty rates.

Mr Donnellan says the hospitality industry is vulnerable to dodgy paying practices.

"It attracts a lot of young people as well as a lot of foreign workers who are employed in restaurants, cafes and catering and they can be vulnerable," he said.

"They are not often aware of what their entitlements are or how to deal with the situation if they think they are not getting everything they should be."

Source:  ABC News