1,000 signatures reached
To: Fair Work Ombudsman
Stop Wage Theft At Dinner By Heston
Heston Blumenthal is a culinary rock star. He is synonymous with all that’s quirky and boundary breaking in the restaurant world - but it’s his staff who make the magic happen.
You'll pay about $300 to eat at Dinner By Heston’s Melbourne restaurant. But somehow, they can’t find the money to pay us for all the hours we work?
We regularly work 60 hours a week, or more, but we’re only paid for a fraction of that. That means we are being underpaid by many thousands of dollars a year.
These massive hours take a huge toll. Often you’re just too stressed and exhausted to enjoy your life outside work. You don’t see much of friends and family.
And you’re made to feel like you should be grateful just to be working here. But why does Dinner By Heston think they are above the law?
Because the law is clear about salary scams like this: it is wage theft. We must be paid for every hour we work, including penalty rates for working nights, weekends and public holidays.
Why is this important?
The Fair Work Ombudsman must investigate Dinner By Heston and take strong action against venues like these that use salary-based arrangements to underpay their workers.
The law is clear: Employers must keep an accurate daily record of start and finish times, of the hours worked, and breaks taken, and have them signed weekly by employees. Employers must also do a reconciliation to see if staff have been underpaid. And if there is a shortfall, the employer must pay the difference.
We are calling on the watchdog to enforce the law at Dinner By Heston. They must ensure these workers are paid for every hour they work and are paid back all their stolen wages.