Wage Inspectorate Victoria has launched new online learning resources as part of a pilot program to increase awareness and understanding of Victoria's long service leave and wage theft laws.
The free e-learning modules for employers and workers are designed to improve understanding of and compliance with workplace rights and obligations.
Taking less than 15 minutes to complete, the modules will be trialled over the coming months to test the effectiveness of e-learning to embed knowledge about workplace laws, with plans to add more topics if the pilot is successful.
After finishing the courses, users are encouraged to complete a short survey to provide their feedback and rate the extent to which their knowledge about long service leave and wage theft has improved.
Designed with stakeholder input, and with time-poor people and accessibility in mind, the modules include audio and interactive elements to provide an overview of the law and allow practitioners or people with specific questions to jump to topics they need help with.
The long service leave module deals with topics like determining when Victoria's Long Service Leave Act applies, how leave accrues and when it can be taken. It also covers how workers can recoup money they're owed and resolve issues with their boss.
The wage theft modules cover the legal definition of wage theft, how to address wage theft, the process of reporting it and the support available from the Wage Inspectorate.
The employer focussed module also includes information on who can be liable for wage theft offences and can help organisations understand their role in preventing a corporate culture that could lead to a wage theft offence being tolerated.
In November last year, the Wage Inspectorate filed wage theft charges against a Macedon restaurant and its officer – the first criminal wage theft charges laid under the Victorian Wage Theft Act 2020, and the first in any Australian jurisdiction.
Last year, more than 280,000 Victorians accessed educative information on the Wage Inspectorate's website. More than 12,000 people also called the regulator, with many of their questions helping to inform the content for the new e-learning modules.
Quotes attributable to Commissioner of Wage Inspectorate Victoria, Robert Hortle
"The e-learning resources expand our suite of tools and provide another avenue for employers and workers to learn about the law. Understanding your rights and responsibilities has never been easier."
"This pilot is part of our commitment to trialling different ways of improving compliance with the law. Visits to our website over the past year have demonstrated strong demand for online learning, and we hope to attract even more visitors with these new resources."
"We know there is a variety of learning preferences out there, and that's why we provide support through multiple channels – we have fact sheets, videos, frequently asked questions, a Helpline and now online learning. Being informed is the first step to being compliant."
About us:
Wage Inspectorate Victoria promotes and enforces Victorian law covering wage theft, child employment, long service leave and contractors in transport and forestry.
