Backpackers looking for seasonal work in Australia should buy
online travel insurance and ensure they are paid what they are owed.
A federal audit conducted on a range of businesses in the Bundaberg region of south-east Queensland, Australia, has discovered 16 different hostels and farms failing to comply with workplace laws and has recovered over £26,000 in unpaid wages. Many backpackers and other travellers seek work as hostel staff or as fruit-pickers on farms, but they are advised to make sure they paid the money owed to them.
Julie Wade, the Federal Workplace Ombudsman's state director, told the website: "There is a high percentage of employers who were not compliant [with federal workplace rules]. Unpaid wages have been recovered from seven companies."
Ms Wade added that in one instance a single hostel had underpaid 460 workers by a total surpassing £16,000. Seasonal workers should try to make sure they have
backpacker travel insurance and that they find work with a reputable employer.
Check out Downunder's quote engine for
cheap travel insurance to Oz.
