Sydney-based pâtissier Adriano Zumbo has been accused of owing his workers money.
Zumbo was the subject of a segment on last night’s episode of A Current Affair. In it five current and former employees claimed they were owed thousands of dollars by his business.
A Zumbo pastry worker named Samantha told ACA that Zumbo provided her with a fake superannuation number; that pay slips arrived late on a regular basis (with the incorrect rate on them); and that overtime pay was withdrawn. She alleged money that could not be accounted for was being taken out of her pay packet.
Another worker, referred to as JB, claims he was also given a fake super number, as does an employee called Kate, who told the program she complained about the issue “by email a lot, and they just [said], ‘We’ll pay, we’ll pay’.”
A baker who spent five months in the Lane Cove kitchen, and who was responsible for managing the team and orders, told the program he was not paid fairly for overtime.
ACA claims a complaint has been made to Fair Work Australia.
Zumbo released an official statement today.
“In January 2017, a new overtime system was implemented by my business. As a result, discrepancies were identified in the calculation, approval and payment of overtime to a limited number of staff. I have personally taken steps to rectify all back pay issues of which I am currently aware... It saddens me to learn that some of my current and former staff did not share their apparent concerns with me or our HP department."
Regarding the number of staff affected, Zumbo told Broadsheet in an email: "We believe it's less than 10 staff or five per cent of the total staff numbers (to be confirmed)."
He did not make clear whether those staff were in managerial, front of house or kitchen roles, but said in addition to employees "that have worked over-time, weekends and after hours... some administrative staff have also been affected."
“As of today, all staff identified as being incorrectly paid or delayed in their overtime/back pay have been paid," he said. The audit is ongoing.
At this stage it is still unknown how far back problem goes, or how much the Zumbo empire will pay back.
The allegations against Zumbo come as the dust settles on controversy surrounding celebrity chef George Calombaris incorrectly paying workers. His hospitality business, MAdE, was forced to pay back $2.6 million in missing wages.
Zumbo discovered his passion for dessert while working at a supermarket in the small town of Coonamble in NSW. He has since built a dessert empire, spanning four stores in Melbourne and six in Sydney, as well as his own reality TV show.
With additional reporting by Lauren Muscat.
This story was updated on May 3.
