The owners of two Perth cafes have been penalised a total of $14,300 for failing to produce employment records to an industrial inspector.
Ahmed El Sayed Imam and Yan Desiree Hui - the owners of Sinamon café’s two locations at Victoria Park and Mt Lawley – were required by law to produce the employment records but failed to do so.
Industrial inspectors from the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety issued Mr Imam and Ms Hui with notices to produce records in 2021 as part of a proactive compliance campaign in the restaurant and cafe sector.
The Industrial Magistrates Court imposed a penalty of $7,300 on Mr Imam for failing to comply with two notices to produce records.
Ms Hui was separately penalised $7,000 for failing to comply with one notice to produce records, and for obstructing an industrial inspector. She told inspectors she was just an employee of the business and not an owner.
Private Sector Labour Relations Executive Director Lorraine Field said the penalties reflected the seriousness of obstructing industrial inspectors in the course of their duties.
“Industrial inspectors have an important role to play under State employment laws, to check that employers are paying the correct wages,” Ms Field said.
“Employers are required by law to keep employment records, and are required to produce them to an industrial inspector upon request.
“The penalties imposed on Mr Imam and Ms Hui send a strong signal that employers should take their employment obligations seriously.
“Industrial inspectors will continue to conduct unannounced site visits in high risk industries such as hospitality, and we will initiate court proceedings as a last resort where we do not achieve voluntary compliance.”
A previous proactive campaign in the cafe and restaurant sector by industrial inspectors found that four out of five businesses did not comply with State employment laws.
Information on employer obligations and the changes to State employment laws is available at www.dmirs.wa.gov.au/wa-employers or by calling Wageline on 1300 655 266.
Media Contact: Caroline De Vaney, 6251 2363 or 0408 927 563 (media enquiries only)
caroline.devaney@demirs.wa.gov.au
