Fair Work Ombudsman v Scott Redmond t/as Cleaning Excellence

The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) brought proceedings in the Federal Circuit Court of Australia against Scott Redmond, trading as Cleaning Excellence, alleging contraventions of the *Fair Work Act 2009* (Cth). The dispute concerned Mr Redmond's alleged failure to keep accurate employee records, failure to comply with a notice to produce documents, and failure to comply with a compliance notice issued by the FWO.

The court was required to determine whether Mr Redmond had contravened the Act in the ways alleged by the FWO. Specifically, the court had to consider the evidence presented regarding the record-keeping obligations, the nature of the notice to produce, and the requirements of the compliance notice, and whether Mr Redmond's actions or omissions constituted breaches of these provisions.

In reaching its decision, the court applied the relevant provisions of the *Fair Work Act 2009* (Cth) concerning record-keeping, notices to produce, and compliance notices. The court found that Mr Redmond had indeed contravened the Act by failing to keep proper records for his employees, failing to produce documents as required by the FWO's notice, and failing to comply with the subsequent compliance notice. The court considered the seriousness of these contraventions, particularly in the context of the FWO's regulatory role and the importance of accurate record-keeping for ensuring compliance with workplace laws.

The court ordered Mr Redmond to pay penalties totalling $10,200 for the contraventions.