Fast food industry workers are entitled to the same right to a safe and healthy work environment as any other Australian worker. With workers often young and inexperienced in the workplace, they may be taken advantage of due to a lack of knowledge around their fast food employee rights. Here’s an explanation of the basic legal rights fast food employees have in the workplace and what to do if those rights are being ignored.
Fast food employee rights
Every worker in Australia has basic rights at work, regardless of their visa status or type of employment.
Fast food workers have a right to a safe workplace, including rights to:
- Be shown how to work safely
- Appropriate safety equipment
- Be consulted about safety in the workplace
At the same time, fast food workers have the right to actively engage with their employer over safety concerns. This includes the right to:
- Speak up about work conditions
- Refuse to perform unsafe work
Beyond safety, fast food workers have rights to:
- Access workers compensation
- A fair, just workplace
- Fair pay and conditions
Duty of care: fast food employer obligations
Employers have a responsibility, known as a duty of care, to ensure the safety of their workers in the workplace. This duty involves taking reasonable precautions, including:
- Observing legal health and safety requirements
- Identifying risks and planning work safely
- Investigating hazard reports and taking action
- Ensuring workers undertake appropriate safety training
Sciaccas has a proud history of representing fast food workers. If you need legal advice, contact us to speak with one of our lawyers.
