Essay on Underpayment in 7 eleven franchises

When you are a part time employee, you are more likely to adopt the qualities of a struggling soul. You keep yourself indulged in different activities by hook or by crook - choosing to assign yourself all the tasks that you can probably achieve in a sway or piece by piece. It is, therefore a state, where you want to save as much as you can for the sole purpose of being considerate about and for securing your future. (Berg, 2018). On the other hand we have some legitimate employees. These employees are willingly and passionately indulged in their work, where they are incessantly inputting their hard work and demanding the output of some satisfactory monetary returns. They are sweating themselves off for the firm and compromising their personal interests for the growth and benefit of the firm (Boateng, 2013). It is their basic right to receive an abundant reward, as that is clearly what they deserve. Anything below that is not just morally and ethically wrong, but also economically and financially wide off the mark for the firm itself. 

Such a case of injustice took place in 7 eleven franchises which are situated in throughout Australia. The employees of 7 eleven suffered a determinant decrease in the monetary rewards for their work. Not only did they witness an enormous amount of deterioration in their wage rate, but ‘wage-theft’ was also highlighted as an unfortunate concern to help employees get their reward back (Stewart, Stanford, Hardy 2018). The case was legitimated in the court and employees were paid their basic payroll according to the time and effort they had invested in the company for its progress (Stewart, Stanford, Hardy 2018). This, however, was only made possible through employees’ claims, FairFax media announcing how they were not paid in the approved manner through the payroll media and the inquiry inviting submissions from 7-Eleven employees (who alleged that they had been underpaid) and assessing each individual’s claim.

Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (FW Act)

Fair work act was basically introduced as legislation towards Australia’s workplace environment for the betterment of the economy. The decree mainly revolved around the obligations and rules that are to be followed by the employees and employers of a certain organization with the purpose of providing a balanced framework for productive workplace relations (Levy, 2017). The act promoted economic welfare and social inclusions, which helped in neglecting biased conclusions. However, the role that it played in reference to the underpayment crisis did not help the victims as such. As for the franchise networks, it requires more supervision from the higher level network. While this one remained legally insulated from the problems created, this was also due to the arrival of the new chief executive who ended the case as soon as he took over.

Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) in 2016, Fair work commission

The Fair Work Ombudsman initiates legal proceedings, and governs allegations of breaches in the workplace (Levy, 2017). The Fair Work Commission however, administers the Act, reviewing the authentic authorization with renewing entitlements, setting wages considering national minimum wages, and operates in listening to the claims of different tribes with declare rulings. The wage theft in 7 eleven affected not only the employees who were underpaid, but also the employers who underpaid them and later refused to believe that they have been doing so, to protect the image of the company (Berg, 2017). There is a high chance of an audience losing interest in claiming for their rights because people do not usually involve themselves into unwanted disputes. When it comes to pointing out higher authorities that have been taking advantage of the employee, just because they fail to understand how the surrounding works, is when the employees make a move to understand the perspectives organization wide. It is an integral part of the organization to associate employees with their fellow employees, so that the functions of the organization are effective as well as engaging (Chubey, Dimri and Mishra, 2017). Teamwork is a healthier way of performing tasks and building relationships that can in mere future help resolve both large and small scale problems inside and outside of the organization (Chubey, Dimri and Mishra, 2017).

Whatever policies the huge businesses implement, media gets it covered in no time. For instance, how the chief executive and the deputy had to quit because of the media claims that were put up to their face for not being able to control the business and run operations smoothly (Levy, Brien, Rice, Ridge, and Thorton, 2017). As much as it is important to protect the rights of your co-workers and management, the trade unions also empower and protect employees and employers rights respectively. Different unions play various roles in protecting different participants of the workplace. Trade unions are actual agencies that help protect the rights and laws of the respective, over the course of their membership with the trade union (Chubey, Dimri and Mishra, 2017). 

When part time or part time foreign workers work in your firm, it is the responsibility of the business to make them feel like they are wanted at the workplace because foreign recruitments help you build your market in the long run (Chaubey, 2017). A diverse collection of employees would also mean a national rise in productivity, GDP and economic prosperity, where in the downturn it would only help increase the cash outflow of the economy (Levy, Brien, Rice, Ridge, and Thorton, 2017).  However, as long as the firm is being expanded at good ends and the resources are not being exploited, the economy is good to go. Work enforcement, protection of employees under minimum law wage, job security and certainty, and the welfare of the economy highly depends on how the government intervenes and helps develop the economy. Having realizing the fact that 7 eleven is one of the biggest global challenges to many other competitive firms, they should be expanding day by day to boost up the economic state (Healy, 2015). Money and reputation of the firm once lost is very difficult to bring back. Firms have to play smart when they are globally recognized (Tham, 2016).

It is highly recommended that before any outrageous approach, the matter is resolved peacefully in a room where humble negotiations are met. However, to be able to get your voice across, an employee has to be an integral part of a system that guides, grows, intervenes, justifies morality and solves all types of disputes thrown at them (Haller, 2012). Collaborating, coordinating, controlling and communicating of employees with their fellow colleagues to understand the processes and the workplace environments help an employee improve in all aspects. Moreover, a workplace where concealing underpayment and all the deserving entitlements of the employee might increase the degree of an employee being negligent of its duties (Haller, 2012). Where the employers do not consider looking over the payments that they are offered, according to the minimum wage law suggested by the authorities, they should rightfully be informed about their entitlements and worthy monetary rewards by the organization itself.

It is the human resource manager’s duty to make the employees work with each other at all stages possible, so that empowerment and goal achievement unites. In case of underpayment, if the management had a hand on the unity of employees and the protection of their jobs, the dispute wouldn't have been covered in the media. It is highly recommended that the management addresses the issue themselves and look for appropriate solutions. The management must realize that cost effectiveness doesn't come from killing the entitlements of the employees who work day and night (which was an actual case, that the workers who were underpaid worked more shifts than usual and still didn't get the payment as per the effort they had put in (Boateng, 2013). 

Good communication and understanding within the organization is also an integral part of issue  resolvement, especially of employees with employees. Cultural differences ethnicity, diversity of different groups in short shouldn't be a barrier when it comes to working as a team. That might also be one reason of misconduct. Considering trade unions, as aforementioned, who play a vital role in protecting the rights of employees in cases of failing negotiations, is another step for justifying both points of views, respectively  (Boateng, 2013). 

Underpayments that have taken place without any justified reason; overpaid previously, payments in advance, national decrease in inflation rate and others can be dealt with in a better manner with accurate recordings of the finance books and by keeping the company employees updated about the proceedings in the matter. Conduction of workshops for all employees to give them complete knowledge of how the flow of payments works while minimizing the hierarchical 

disputes and the diverse differences, along with favourable negotiations with the higher authority, can help ensure that the disputes are solved immediately. Employee should be supportive of another employee in case of mistreatment because, if one employee can be mistreated leaves no room for another to be on a safer spot. Job rotation or quitting the job right away can be considered to lessen the intensity of disputes in employee management relations (Morris, 2010).

Furthermore, a participative approach can really improve the organization culture. If the employees believe that they are a worthy asset of the organization, they may not involve  themselves in activities that disrupt their current status. Lastly, giving the  employees a room to grow and not killing their entitlements can help organizations build themselves better and stronger.