In the 21st century, as traditional work has become increasingly fissured and many of last century’s protections have eroded, America must once again re-examine our workforce safety net. The social contract that provided security and prosperity for previous generations is coming undone, as work becomes increasingly contingent, and companies do less and less to keep...

Vulnerable workers need to be protected. Existing laws need to be strengthened. The recent exploitation of vulnerable workers by 7-Eleven, for example, demonstrates that more needs to be done to protect vulnerable workers. The 7-Eleven scandal revealed not only a systemic underpayment of workers, but also a widespread practice of franchisees paying their employees the...

In 2015 we saw too many instances of workers’ rights trampled, not just by fly-by-night operations, but by household names. Employers who deliberately underpay their workers not only deny working and middle class Australians a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work, they also undercut employers who are doing the right thing for their...

ALP 2016 election campaign policy on protecting penalty rates for Australian workers. Labor understands that penalty rates are not a luxury; they are what pays the bills and puts food on the table for the 4.5 million Australians that rely on them. Penalty rates are not only critical to the individuals and their families who...

In June 2014 the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) commenced an Inquiry into allegations that significant underpayment of wages and falsification of employment records were occurring across much of the franchisee network of Australia’s leading convenience retailer, 7-Eleven Australia Pty Ltd (7-Eleven) [ACN 005 299 427]. The Inquiry sought to test these allegations through coordinated site...