Retail employer faces allegations of child employment breaches

Operators of a pharmacy in Yarrawonga, Victoria, faced 11 charges after allegedly violating state laws regulating the employment of children under 15 years old. According to the National Safety Council of Australia (NSCA), Terry White Chemmart Yarrawonga operators reportedly breached section 9 (1) of the Child Employment Act 2003 by failing to acquire a child employment permit before hiring young workers under 15 years of age.

“The charges relate to the alleged employment of a child from December 2021 to January 2022,” NSCA reported.

“The maximum penalty for each offence is $18,174 (100 penalty units) for body corporates and $10,904 per offence (60 penalty units) for individuals involved,” it added.

The charges, filed by the Wage Inspectorate Victoria, will be addressed in the Magistrates’ Court at Melbourne on 13 October.

Employing children under 15 years of age

Hiring children under 15 years old is permitted in several Australian states. For Victoria, such conduct is lawful so long as employers first obtain a permit from the Wage Inspectorate before any work takes place. 

“The law also allows child employment officers to impose special conditions on the employment to protect a child’s safety,” NSCA noted. “Permits are free, and the online application process to receive one is fast and straightforward.”

Acquiring a permit helps protect young workers from any harm to their health, safety, or well-being that may occur in the workplace.

The permit system also enables the Wage Inspectorate to examine, before employment, the safety, hours of work, rest breaks, and supervision that should be given to the children.

Cases of violating child employment laws

Reports have shown that the court proceeding against Terry White Chemmart Yarrawonga comes in addition to recent actions taken by the Wage Inspectorate involving the same violations.

Last August 2022, a digital learning company pleaded guilty to 10 criminal charges for violating child employment laws, and the court slapped the company with a $2000 fine.

Meanwhile, in June 2022, a Bright café faced $5000 after pleading guilty to nine breaches of child employment laws.

Based on NSCA’s report, just last financial year, the Wage Inspectorate used more than 7700 child employment permits for several businesses to help them safely employ young workers.

“A licensing system will be introduced from 1 July 2023 as part of changes to Victoria’s child employment laws,” NSCA said.

“The new system will strengthen protections for children and make it simpler for employers to understand their obligations,” it added.

Employers who wish to employ young workers can apply online at the official website of the Wage Inspectorate Victoria: wageinspectorate.vic.gov.au.