The Fair Work Ombudsman has launched a new compliance campaign hitting businesses along the east coast of Australia.
Fair Work Inspectors will conduct audits of at least 1600 businesses in randomly selected urban and regional areas of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.
The campaign will be conducted in two phases, with audits to be conducted in waves.
Acting Fair Work Ombudsman Michael Campbell said the first phase was already underway and the campaign would take approximately 12 months to complete.
Campbell said a previous Fair Work Ombudsman national campaign saw $585,000 returned to 755 retail workers.
“Our 2012 report revealed that more than 40 per cent of the underpayments identified through the campaign were owed by NSW employers,” Campbell said.