The owners of a now closed food court business have been penalised just under $218,000 by the WA Industrial Magistrates Court for underpaying two vulnerable employees and failing to keep employment records.
The owners of ‘Ocean Keys Hi Thai’ in Clarkson – Richard Ly, Siu Ly, Moing Woung, Intharat Chuen-Arom and Jennessa Oeng – admitted to underpaying the two employees over $100,000.
While Ocean Keys Hi Thai is no longer trading, Mr Ly, Ms Ly and Ms Woung operate numerous other hospitality businesses across Perth.
The employees were paid a flat rate of pay for all hours worked, ranging between $13 and $18 per hour. No records were kept of their start of finish times, or the amounts paid to them. The underpayments were uncovered following a proactive inspection by industrial inspectors in the Department of Local Government, Industry Regulation and Safety.
Ordering penalties against the business, Industrial Magistrate Belinda Coleman described the underpayments as ‘colossal’, noting the underpaid employees were both ‘vulnerable’. One employee was only 19 years of age when she commenced work at the business, while the other was new to Australia on a temporary visa.
Private Sector Labour Relations Director Cara Breuder said employers could not afford to be complacent about meeting their employment obligations.
“In this case, the owners largely left the running of the business to a store manager who exploited the employees for years,” Ms Breuder said.
“It’s not good enough. Employers cannot hide behind a manager, they are ultimately responsible for ensuring employment records are kept and employees are paid correctly.”
Ms Breuder noted that industrial inspectors would be conducting more unannounced inspections in 2026.
“We will continue to focus on high-risk industries such as hospitality. Failure to keep employment records and underpayments often go hand-in-hand. The first thing an inspector will ask upon entering a business is to view employment records.”
Western Australian workers can find out how to seek help with resolving an underpayment issue at www.lgirs.wa.gov.au/underpaymentcomplaints.
Information on employer obligations is available at www.lgirs.wa.gov.au/wageline or by calling Wageline on 1300 655 266.
Media Contact: media@lgirs.wa.gov.au | 9222 6102 (media enquiries only)
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