Proactive investigations reports
Download reports and media releases relating to campaigns and audits we've run.
On this page:
- 2022 - 2023
- 2021 - 2022
- 2020 - 2021
- 2019 - 2020
- 2018 - 2019
- 2017 - 2018
- 2016 - 2017
- 2015 - 2016
- 2014 - 2015
- Related information
Email us for copies of past campaign reports at: campaigns@fwo.gov.au
2022-2023
Sydney food precincts proactive investigations report
Date: April 2023
Media release: More than $239,000 recovered for Sydney workers
2021-2022
Sandwich Chefs report
Date: March 2022
Media release: Wages recovered for 214 Sandwich Chefs workers
Adelaide food precinct proactive investigation report
Date: December 2021
Media release: More than $189,000 recovered for Adelaide workers
COVID-19 hotel quarantine security report
Date: October 2021
Media release: More than $300,000 recovered for security staff
Gold Coast food precincts report
Date: September 2021
Media release: More than $200,000 recovered for Gold Coast workers
2020-2021
Soul Origin: compliance activity report
Date: November 2020
Media release: Wages recovered for Soul Origin workers
National Compliance Monitoring Report
Date: October 2020
Stadiums Contract Cleaning report
Date: October 2020
Media release: Wages recovered for stadium cleaners
Korean FRAC report
Date: September 2020
Media release: Over $160,000 recovered in Korean worker audits
Top Juice Report
Date: September 2020
Media release: Wages recovered for Top Juice Workers
National Food and Retail Revisit report
Date: September 2020
Media release: Over $1.2 million recovered for food and retail workers
Melbourne and Brisbane Food Precincts
Date: September 2020
Media release: Over $1.2 million recovered for food and retail workers
Gami Chicken: compliance activity report
Date: August 2020
Media release: Over $230,000 recovered for Gami Chicken workers
Regional University Towns - Geelong Report
Date: August 2020
Media release: Over $430,000 recovered for Geelong workers
2019 - 2020
East Coast Retail Hair and Beauty Campaign Report
Date: April 2020
Combined Campaigns Compliance Report
Date: April 2020
Workplace Basics: compliance activity report
Date: March 2020
Media release: Audits recover $1.3 million for underpaid workers
Emerging Franchises Compliance Activity Report
Date: December 2019
Media release: $730,000 recovered from popular food franchises
Food Precincts Activity Report
Date: December 2019
Media release: Over $300,000 returned to fast food, restaurant and café workers
Cleaning supply chains in Victorian Government schools: compliance activity report
Date: November 2019
Subway Compliance Activity Report
Date: October 2019
Media release: Unpaid wages recovered for Subway employees
2018 - 2019
Commonwealth Games: compliance activity outcomes
Date: June 2019
Media release: Commonwealth Games security guards underpaid
Compliance Activities in Regional Education Centres Report
Date: June 2019
Media release: Regional workers back-paid over $330,000
Combined Regional Campaigns Report
Date: May 2019
Media release: FWO recovers $580,000 in unpaid wages
FWO-ASIC Joint Audit Campaign Report
Date: May 2019
Media release: FWO recovers almost $40,000 for workers
National Remote and Regional Locations Campaign Report
Date: January 2019
Media release: Regional workers back-paid $190,000
Textile, Clothing and Footwear Compliance Phase Campaign Report
Date: January 2019
Media release: TCF campaign recovers $80,000 for workers
Sushi enterprises: compliance activity outcomes
Date: October 2018
Media release: FWO recovers nearly $800,000 for sushi workers in NSW, QLD and the ACT
Degani Bakery Cafe: compliance activity outcomes
Date: August 2018
Media release: Degani Bakery and Cafe compliance report
Food Precincts Activities Report
Date: July 2018
Media release: FWO's Food Precincts campaign returns $471,904 in wages owed to hospitality workers
2017 - 2018
New South Wales Mid-West and Mid-North Campaign Report
Date: June 2018
Media release: Fair Work Ombudsman releases results of NSW audits
Darwin City and Surrounds Campaign Report
Date: June 2018
Media release: Fair Work Ombudsman releases results of Darwin audits
Adelaide CBD and Inner Metro Campaign Report
Date: June 2018
Media release: Almost half of inner Adelaide businesses fail the basics in workplace compliance checks
Western Australia - Southern Perth and Albany-Manjimup Regional Campaign Report
Date: April 2018
Media release: WA workers back-paid almost $390,000 and three businesses penalised in court following FWO campaigns
Auditing Victoria - Dandenong, Warrnambool and Otway Ranges Campaign Report
Date: April 2018
Media release: Campaigns in regional Victoria recover more than $620,000 for hundreds of workers
Caltex retail fuel outlets: compliance activity outcomes
Date: March 2018
Media release: FWO Report finds three quarters of Caltex sites breaching workplace laws
Tasmanian South-East Coast Regional Campaign Report
Date: March 2018
Media Release: A third of Tasmanian south and east coast businesses put on notice
SA Barossa, Two Wells and Gawler Regional Campaign Report
Date: March 2018
Media release: Half of Barossa businesses breaching workplace laws, campaign finds
Western Sydney Campaign Report
Date: March 2018
Media release: Western Sydney campaign reveals high rates of unlawful workplaces
Inquiry into the procurement of cleaners in Tasmanian supermarkets report
Date: February 2018
Media release: Fair Work Ombudsman Inquiry uncovers rampant exploitation of Woolworths cleaners
NT Alice Springs - Barkley Regional Campaign Report
Date: February 2018
Media release: Increased compliance but still room for improvement among Northern Territory businesses
Southern ACT Regional Campaign Report
Date: January 2018
Media release: Southern ACT businesses on notice after campaign finds pay slip and wage rate breaches
ACT Compliance Monitoring Campaign Report
Date: December 2017
Media release: 40 per cent of ACT businesses fail second chance
National Health Care and Social Assistance Campaign Report
Date: November 2017
Media release: Higher compliance rates but still cause for concern in Healthcare sector
Far North Queensland Campaign Report
Date: July 2017
Media release: More than $140,000 recovered for local workers in Far North Queensland campaign
2016 - 2017
National Compliance Monitoring Campaign Report
Date: June 2017
Media release: Fair Work Ombudsman intervention leads to improved compliance, national campaign shows
Textile, Clothing and Footwear Education Phase Campaign Report
Date: May 2017
Media release: Campaign finds little awareness of pay rates for clothing manufacturing workers
United Petroleum retail fuel outlets: Summary of compliance activity outcomes
Date: April 2017
Media release: Fair Work Ombudsman report reveals widespread worker exploitation at United Petroleum outlets
National Apprenticeship Campaign Report
Date: March 2017
Media release: Campaign highlights underpayment of apprentices
Pizza Hut franchisee delivery drivers: Summary of compliance activity findings
Date: January 2017
Media release: Fair Work Ombudsman report reveals non-compliance in major fast-food franchise
FWO - ASIC Joint Audit Campaign
Date: January 2017
Media release: Joint campaign by FWO and ASIC proves a success
Central Queensland regional campaign
Date: July 2016
Media release: Central Queensland regional campaign results
2015 - 2016
Tasmania regional campaign
Date: June 2016
Media release: Tasmania regional campaign results
Records and resources campaign
Date: June 2016
Media release: Almost three quarters of businesses comply with record-keeping and pay-slip obligations
Northern ACT regional campaign
Date: May 2016
Media release: ACT campaign returns $16k to local workers
SA Limestone Coast regional campaign
Date: May 2016
Media release: $23 000 back-pay for Limestone Coast workers
Victoria Loddon/Elmore and Campaspe regional campaign
Date: May 2016
Media release: $80,000 back-pay for regional workers
Western Australia - Gascoyne/Mid-West regional campaign
Date: May 2016
Media release: Gascoyne and Mid-West campaign results
Hobart NW regional campaign
Date: March 2016
Media release: Tick of approval for most Hobart businesses
National cleaning services compliance campaign
Date: March 2016
Media release: Cleaning industry compliance needs to improve
National hospitality industry campaign - Takeaway Foods
Date: March 2016
Media release: Half-a-million dollar top-up for pay packets of hundreds of take-away food workers
Victorian compliance campaign
Date: February 2016
Tasmanian compliance campaign
Date: February 2016
SA / WA / NT compliance campaign
Date: February 2016
National building and construction industry campaign
Date: July 2015
Media release: Building and construction campaign results
2014 - 2015
National hospitality industry campaign (Restaurants, Cafes and Catering)
Date: June 2015
Media release: Restaurant, cafe and catering service workers share more than $1.2 million back-pay
Motor vehicle retailing campaign - 2013/14
Date: June 2015
National children's services campaign - 2013/14
Date: May 2015
Media release: $438,000 back-pay for child-care workers
Alice Springs education and compliance campaign
Date: April 2015
Media release: Employers urged to pay greater attention to wage rates after 200 Alice Springs workers underpaid
National cleaning industry follow up campaign 2012-2013
Date: February 2015
SA/WA/NT retail campaign 2014
Date: December 2014
Media release:
- Results of retail campaign in Western Australia
- Results of retail campaign in South Australia
- Top end retailers urged to check pay rates
Victorian retail bakeries campaign 2013/2014
Date: December 2014
Media release: Retail bakeries urged to check wage rates
Tamworth/Armidale records and pay slips campaign 2013
Date: September 2014
Media release: High marks for Tamworth and Armidale employers
QLD Townsville records and pay slips campaign 2013
Date: September 2014
Media release: High marks for Townsville employers
WA Enterprise Agreement campaign 2013/2014
Date: August 2014
Media release: Results of WA enterprise agreement campaign
Eastern Seaboard Live production industry campaign 2013
Date: July 2014
Media release: Results of live production industry campaign
TAS Young hospitality and visa workers campaign 2011/2012
Date: July 2014