Overview
- Nearly 30,000 current and former managers remain in limbo after the Federal Court’s latest judgment two years after a lengthy trial.
- Justice Nye Perram found both chains breached record-keeping obligations, highlighting Coles’ lack of an overtime system and unreliable clocking data.
- The Fair Work Ombudsman argues the award sets a 38-hour week with tacitly permitted overtime, citing failures in rosters, time off in lieu and allowance records.
- The judge issued an 82,000-word ruling condemning the litigation as “unacceptably complex” and cautioning that the approach should not be repeated.
- An October hearing will consider compensation for about 27,700 employees, as Woolworths and Coles point to prior repayments of $330 million and $7 million and pledge accurate pay going forward.