THE franchisee of four Subway stores in Newcastle has been fined and ordered to make restitution for underpaying "vulnerable" young staff for five years.
Nicole Patrice Dawe, 37, from Medowie, was found to have "deliberately" broken workplace laws by continuing to pay sandwich-makers at the lowest rate even though they were working as supervisors.
In handing down a $4415 fine and orders to pay staff $52,344 in backpay, Federal Magistrate Sylvia Emmett said Ms Dawe had a "deliberate disregard" for paying the 11 staff aged from 15 to 21 their correct rate of pay.
Ms Emmett said the "youth and relative inexperience in the workforce" of the staff put them at risk of exploitation.
The young staff were often not given pay-slips, and could not determine their gross hourly rate, the court found.
One staffer, Ashley Jenkins from Cardiff, was underpaid $18,500 while another, Georgina Dart from Maryland, was underpaid $11,000.
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