Even the Biggest and Most Respected of Organisations Can Be Fraudsters:
Ever heard of 7-Eleven? For those of you in the Northern reaches of the country where the brand is a little less prevalent, 7-Eleven is one of Australia’s most common corner stores, selling every-day essentials, snacks, tobacco, drinks and their famous $2, Barista-style coffees, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Originally an American brand, brought over to Australia in the 70s, 7-Eleven has grown to become one of the largest franchise chains in the country, with over 225 branches in cities including Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Canberra and many more.
Fairfax Media, one of Australia’s largest media companies, have recently exposed a disturbing case of employee exploitation within the franchise that will undoubtedly end in a court case of epic proportions.
So, what have 7-Elevevn been up to then?
The company has allegedly been severely underpaying staff, advertising their pay rates at $24 per hour, only to go on and pay their staff as little as $10.
As if that wasn’t enough, 7-Eleven has also been found to have hired migrants on student visas, which only allows up to 20 hours of work per week, and asked them to work longer hours, thereby putting them in direct violation of their visa limitations. Further to these findings, Fairfax Media has also found evidence to suggest that 7-Eleven was only paying their staff for half the number of hours that they worked, before going on to falsify the paperwork to declare otherwise.
Fair Work Ombudsman has been investigation the issue and, in fact, re-launched legal proceedings against one particular Sydney-based 7-Eleven store, accused of having underpaid two of its migrant workers by at least $50,000.
It’s with this news in mind that we would like to reinforce the importance for people, from all walks of life, to do their due diligence when looking for work, hiring new staff, bringing in new associates or even looking for a life partner.
We cannot stress enough how crucial running a quick background check is to your financial, physical and psychological welfare. Being unaware of the dangers is the same as being indifferent to them; if you don’t know what you’re getting into, then you’ll need to be prepared for any nasty surprises down the line.
A background check, run by our team of forensic experts, is a quick, cost-effective and highly practical means of uncovering a business or individual’s past. If you are put-off by the idea of knowing “too much” and feel as though you’d be breaching someone’s trust by running this service, then rest assured that we will only offer up the vital information you need. We will not disclose information that isn’t relevant to the question at hand.
Call Precise Investigation today on 1300 856 011 for a professional, Private Investigation Service
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Alternatively, please click here if you’d like to find out more about us and our services – we have a full catalogue of professional, Private Investigation services available to those based in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Brisbane and even the more remote reaches of the country, so get in touch with us today.
You can read more about the 7-Eleven story on News.com.au’s website or by clicking here.
