A judge on MasterChef Australia has apologised after his restaurant group was caught underpaying staff a total of up to $AU2.6 million.
MasterChef Australia judges, from left, Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt Preston. Photo: Facebook / MasterChef Australia
George Calombaris backpaid staff after discovering the six-year-long payroll error.
The chef, a judge on reality TV programme MasterChef, which also screens in New Zealand, short-changed 162 of his restaurants' 430 employees, including staff at his Melbourne restaurants The Press Club, Gazi and Hellenic Republic.
The Fair Work Ombudsman first alerted the MAdE Establishment Group to the problem more than 18 months ago.
Analysis commissioned by the group found that a mix-up in how overtime was calculated also led to a number of staff being overpaid their base salary.
Mr Calombaris, 37, said he was "devastated" by the situation, which led to staff members being repaid an average of more than $AU16,000.
He said staff affected had been reimbursed yesterday.
"There was absolutely no intent, we've overpaid some employees and we're leaving those team members unchanged, and those who have been underpaid we've rectified.
"Our amazing team members are the key to our success. I am sorry we have messed up and let you down on a fundamental issue, which is to ensure our people are paid their full entitlements," he said in a statement.
"I am devastated by what has happened and we have been working extremely hard to fix this."
Chef George Calombaris is a judge on reality TV programme MasterChef Australia, which also screens in New Zealand. Photo: 123RF
The company said it had calculated the reimbursements using the highest overtime rate of 200 percent.
Mr Calombaris, who is the MAdE Establishment Group's director and founder, said the company had not adequately managed its enormous growth over the past six years.
"Regrettably our attention to detail at that time wasn't at a level it should have been."
Mr Calombaris began building his restaurant empire in 2006, with the opening of The Press Club on Flinders Street, in Melbourne's CBD.
Specialising in modern Greek cuisine, he published numerous cookbooks and collected several awards over his career.
He became one of Australia's best-known chefs when he took on the role of judge in Network Ten's top-rating MasterChef series in 2009.
- ABC
