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The alarming amount of money Australian workers lose due to wage theft is staggering

The current situation poses a significant economic challenge for Australia, leading to reduced household incomes.

Recent data on wage theft reveals that Australian workers could potentially earn an extra $425 per fortnight, amounting to $11,000 annually if they were compensated fairly for the hours they work.

Unfortunately, the issue has worsened over the past year, as discussed in the annual Go Home On Time Day report, while parliament deliberates on legislation aimed at addressing wage loopholes.

The Australia Institute report highlights that the average worker’s unpaid overtime could fund a luxurious overseas holiday. However, it’s crucial to recognize that the value of unpaid overtime represents a significant loss for Australia’s economy, resulting in diminished household incomes, reduced consumer spending power, and lower government revenues.

Nationwide, unpaid overtime amounts to a staggering $131 billion in uncompensated time, equating to an additional 57 hours per person compared to the previous year. This figure is equivalent to 12.7% of all wages and salaries paid out in Australia over the last year and represents 40% of the expected income tax revenue for the current financial year.

The findings of the Go Home On Time Day report, based on responses from 61% of 1,640 survey participants in paid work, highlight disparities among casual, temporary, part-time, and full-time workers. Employers tend to demand extended hours and unpaid overtime from full-time workers, exacerbating the imbalance in working conditions.

Conversely, even workers who struggle to secure enough paid hours are expected to perform hundreds of hours of extra unpaid work annually by their employers.

Younger workers, particularly those aged between 18 and 29, bear the brunt of unpaid overtime, averaging 7.4 hours per week per person.

Fear also plays a significant role in perpetuating unpaid overtime, as workers feel pressured to comply with demands for fear of losing their jobs, having their hours reduced, or not having their temporary contracts renewed.

This underscores the need for enhanced protections and support for casual workers, addressing the inequality and exploitation faced by workers in non-standard employment arrangements.

Legislation to close labor loopholes is currently under discussion in parliament. While Employment Minister Tony Burke navigates negotiations with business groups and the opposition, the Australian Council of Trade Unions advocates for provisions such as criminalizing wage theft by businesses and establishing minimum pay and conditions for gig workers to tackle this multibillion-dollar problem.

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