Gold Coast agency allegedly underpaid three staff $53,000: Fair Work Ombudsman

Gold Coast real estate company Total Project Marketing Pty Ltd is being prosecuted by the Fair Work Ombudsman for allegedly underpaying three salespeople a total of more than $53,000.

The majority of the alleged underpayments relate to sales commissions earned by the three salespeople.

Total Project Marketing is based at Ashmore and bill itself as a "specialist project marketing agency that manages the marketing of residential projects in northern New South Wales, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Northern Queensland".

Also facing court will be company owner-manager Adrian Keith Parsons, and his wife Karen Nicole Parsons, the company’s office manager, said the Fair Work Ombudsman.

A directions hearing is listed in the Federal Circuit Court in Brisbane on May 6.

The Fair Work Ombudsman alleges the company underpaid three real estate salespeople a total of $53,222 between October, 2009 and February, 2011.

It is alleged the majority of the underpayments are the result of the employees being significantly underpaid the sales commissions they were entitled to.

The employees were allegedly also underpaid their minimum weekly wages and annual leave entitlements.

The Fair Work Ombudsman alleges the employees were underpaid individual amounts of $32,951, $16,551 and $3,720.

Fair Work inspectors discovered the alleged breaches when they investigated complaints lodged by the employees.

The Parsons faces penalties of up to $6,600 per breach and the company faces penalties of up to $33,000 per breach.

The Fair Work Ombudsman is also seeking a Court Order for back-payment of the employees.