Bunnings
Bunnings Investigation
Adero Law is investigating potential breaches of the General Retail Industry Award 2020 (GRIA) by Bunnings, which may have resulted in underpayments for salaried managers.
The Bunnings class action investigation relates to current and former salaried managers, including Department Managers, Admin Managers, Duty Managers and Store Managers, during the period September 2021 to present.
The investigation is considering whether affected employees may have been entitled to additional payments or other employment entitlements in connection with their working arrangements.
Potential issues under investigation include whether Bunnings engaged in practices and conduct including:
- Directing employees to undertake overtime and additional hours worked outside rostered or ordinary working hours;
- Directing staff to undertake work before and after their rostered shifts to complete their daily duties without compensation;
- Failing to facilitate employee rest and meal breaks;
- Failing to pay penalty rates for work performed during evenings, weekends and public holidays;
- Directing staff to take on the responsibilities of a more senior employee without being paid the higher duties entitlement under the GRIA.
You may be eligible to register for the Bunnings class action investigation if you:
- Were employed by Bunnings at any time between September 2021 and the present;
- Were employed as a Department Manager, Admin Manager, Duty Manager or Store Manager; and
- Were employed on an annual salary.
Current Status of the Bunnings Investigation
Adero Law is currently conducting interviews with current and former Bunnings employees to better understand the potential contraventions and breaches of the GRIA.
No proceedings have been filed at this stage.
Adero Law will continue to assess the potential claims and provide registered individuals with updates as the investigation progresses.
How can I be involved?
Please register your interest and one of our team will contact you to provide information about your experience at Bunnings.
We also invite you to contact us by email at [email protected] and provide any relevant information or documents or raise any questions you may have. Registered individuals will be kept informed of significant developments and advised when further action is required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Adero is currently in the process of undertaking necessary due diligence investigations required to understand the viability of a potential class action.
At this stage, Adero asks you to register your interest should you be interested in participating in a potential class action.
Once a class action has commenced, Adero Law may send you a retainer for a no win no fee legal service. You are under no obligations until you agree to be bound by such a document.
Although circumstances may vary, the general structure of a class action proceeding run by Adero Law is as follows:
- A wrongdoing occurs that affects a group of people (claimants) in a similar way.
- Adero Law’s Claim Origination team investigate the wrongdoing by conducting due diligence investigations and liaising with a lead claimant.
- Pleadings and other Court documents are finalised and filed with the Court.
- Claimants have a chance to opt-out of the class action.
- Evidence is compiled and the claim is prepared for trial.
- If appropriate, mediation or settlement discussions take place between the parties.
- If a settlement agreement is not reached, the claim proceeds to trial.
- Once a settlement agreement has been reached, claimants are notified, and a is timetable put in place for any objections or submissions to be made ahead of a hearing.
- A settlement hearing occurs.
- If the settlement is approved, a distribution scheme will be implemented as approved by the Court.
Once a class action has commenced, Adero Law may send you a retainer for a no win no fee legal service that is relevant to your individual claim. This document will contain any terms relevant to the payment of legal fees under a no win no fee contract, and in respect to the ongoing management of the class action.
No. The Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) s 340 prevents employers from treating you differently for exercising your workplace rights. It is unlawful to punish an employee in any way for joining a class action. If you believe this has happened to you, contact us at Adero Law and we will promptly investigate such a complaint.
Adero will not provide your details to Wesfarmers Limited or any third party without your consent. Adero adheres to Australian privacy principles and will store its data in its systems and will not use that material for any unrelated purpose or disclose it to any third-party. That information we procure is also subject to legal professional rules that Adero Law adheres to, under the relevant ACT rules.