Workplace regulator helps migrants achieve fair deal

In a new move to help migrants achieve fairness at work, Australia’s workplace regulator is providing information about workplace rights in 23 languages.

The Federal Workplace Ombudsman website – www.wo.gov.au – contains translated information aimed at helping migrants with limited or no English skills understand Australia’s workplace laws and how the Agency can help them.

Information translated into Filipino, Sinhala, Tamil, Hindi, Urdu, Japanese, Tongan and Somali has recently been added to the website.

Information on the website is also available in Arabic, Chinese, Croatian, Dari, Greek, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Persian, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese.

The Workplace Ombudsman this month sent fact sheets on workplace rights to more than 1000 community organisations working with migrants throughout Australia.

Workplace Ombudsman Nicholas Wilson says migrant workers who do not fully understand their workplace rights are more likely to be exploited.

“It is important that migrant workers understand their workplace rights and that they know there is an Agency they can turn to if they are concerned they are not being paid properly or treated fairly,” Mr Wilson said.

The Workplace Ombudsman recovered $36.6 million in underpayments for almost 28,000 workers in Australia last financial year.

Mr Wilson says the Workplace Ombudsman is also committed to assisting migrants who have started their own business in Australia to understand and comply with workplace legislation.

“Education is a big part of our role,” he said. “In most cases, we do not prosecute employers for accidental breaches of workplace laws.”

The Workplace Ombudsman can be contacted on 1300 724 200. For those who need help communicating in English, a free Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) is available on 131 450. Non-English speakers should phone this number and ask for the Workplace Ombudsman.