Guidance
Intentional wage theft criminal offence (s 327A)
Criminal offence from 1 January 2025. Up to 10 years + $7.8M body corporate.
In plain English
Wage theft is a criminal offence from 1 January 2025. Businesses face significant penalties for intentional wage theft.
This guidance explains the new criminal offence of intentional wage theft. It applies to all businesses. It covers situations where wages are deliberately withheld. Body corporates can face penalties. The offence starts on 1 January 2025. The Fair Work Ombudsman provides this guidance.
Why it matters
Businesses must ensure wage calculations are accurate and lawful. Intentional wage underpayment can lead to serious legal consequences for directors and company officers. Review payroll practices to avoid criminal charges.
AI-assisted summary, grounded in the source link below. Generated 2026-05-23 via gemma3:12b.
Issuing regulator
FWO →Topics
Source: https://fairwork.gov.au/about-us/workplace-laws/wage-theft. Rules Mate indexes + summarises; always verify against the regulator's live publication.