Young Workers in Australia Being Exploited at ‘Alarming’ Rate, Report Reveals

Introduction
A new report from Melbourne Law School has uncovered widespread exploitation of young Australian workers, revealing that thousands aged 18 to 30 are regularly underpaid, denied entitlements, and even forced to return wages. The *Fair Day’s Work* report paints a troubling picture of systemic workplace abuse that thrives on ignorance, insecurity, and a lack of enforcement.

Details of the Report
The study surveyed 2,814 young workers and found:

• 33% were being paid just $15 or less per hour — well below the current minimum wage of $24.95
• 38% were denied their entitled breaks
• 25% were not paid superannuation
• 10% were compensated with food or goods instead of wages
• 8% were forced to return some or all of their pay
• 35 workers reported having logged hours removed from timesheets

“Underpayment remains one of the most pervasive issues confronting Australian labour law,” wrote authors Professor John Howe and Tom Dillon. “Young persons are especially vulnerable to workplace exploitation.”

Why Young Workers Are at Risk
The report highlights several risk factors that contribute to young people’s susceptibility to mistreatment:

• Lack of awareness about their workplace rights
• Low union membership among youth
• Insecure or casual job arrangements
• Limited leverage to negotiate pay or conditions

Additionally, vulnerable groups such as non-binary people, workers with disabilities, non-permanent residents, and those who speak English as a second language were found to face disproportionately high levels of mistreatment.

Reluctance to Report
Despite the alarming statistics, the report found that most young workers are reluctant to bring complaints to the Fair Work Commission or Fair Work Ombudsman. This hesitation persists even though those who did engage with watchdogs generally reported positive experiences.

Calls for Reform
The *Fair Day’s Work* report concludes with six key recommendations, including:

• Stronger enforcement and compliance measures in high-risk industries
• Improved regulation of casual and gig economy roles
• Digital tools to help workers understand and assert their rights
• Better support for marginalised and at-risk worker groups

However, the authors caution that effective solutions are complex, particularly when exploitation intersects with gender, race, disability, and citizenship. “Adverse treatment connected with these grounds does not occur in a vacuum,” they wrote, “and cannot be addressed through the lens of any single characteristic.”

Conclusion
As Australia’s cost-of-living pressures intensify, the findings of Melbourne Law School’s report serve as a sobering reminder: thousands of young workers are doing it tough—and doing it without basic protections. With underpayment and exploitation rampant, the report adds urgency to calls for government and industry to overhaul enforcement mechanisms and better protect this vulnerable workforce.