We recently implemented new Enterprise Agreements for Woolworths Supermarkets and Metro, BIG W, BWS and Dan Murphy’s. When we implemented the Supermarkets & Metro Agreement (EA) earlier this year, we heard feedback from some of our salaried store team members about their pay relative to our EA team members.

Based on this feedback, we began a review to analyse payments and terms and conditions for our salaried store team members in Woolworths Supermarkets and Metro stores against the applicable modern award - the General Retail Industry Award (GRIA). 

The review found that many of their salaries were not set to a level that would meet their entitlements under the GRIA - entitlements such as penalty rates and loadings for shifts worked outside of ordinary hours. 

Since identifying that many of our salaried store team members in Supermarkets and Metro have not been paid their full entitlements under the GRIA, we have now made the decision to extend the scope of the review to all award-covered salaried roles across the Woolworths Group. 

The review will look at an individual level whether our team have been paid correctly by analysing timesheets, clocking data, pay records and rosters.  

We are committed to paying back all entitlements owed in full.

A modern award (sometimes just called an “award”) sets the minimum terms and conditions of employment for the team members it covers. Our salaried store team members are covered by the General Retail Industry Award (GRIA). GRIA sets out minimum entitlements for retail employees such as penalty rates for certain times of the day, weekends and public holidays. It also includes allowances such as meal allowances and rostering rules. Some other modern awards apply to other team members across the Group. 

Our salaried team members in stores are paid a ‘rolled up’ total amount that includes their hourly base rate of pay and an amount for these additional entitlements set out in the GRIA (such as penalty rates and allowances). 

However, our analysis has revealed that some salaries are not high enough to cover all of the necessary entitlements under GRIA, considering the particular hours which some of our team work.

Many of our salaried team who regularly work early mornings, late nights, weekends and public holidays may be entitled to additional payments for these shifts.

We pay our salaried store team members a ‘rolled up’ amount which is intended to cover all of the entitlements payable under the General Retail Industry Award (GRIA) based on the roster patterns our team members work. However, we’ve identified that some of our salaried store team members in Supermarkets and Metro stores have not received their full entitlements under the GRIA.

While annual salaries for team members were set to cover ordinary working hours and some overtime worked in the course of their roles, the review has found that many of our team members’ salaries were not set at a level high enough to cover all of their entitlements under the GRIA. Therefore, salaried team members who regularly work very early mornings, late nights, weekends and public holidays, may be entitled to additional payments for some or all of these shifts.

Until the full review is complete we won’t know how many salaried team members are entitled to additional payments. There are approximately 19,000 team members currently working within Woolworths Group businesses in Australia who are paid an annual salary. Where these team members are award-covered, along with former award-covered salaried team members, they will be included within the scope of the review.

When we implemented the new Woolworths Supermarkets Agreement 2018 (EA) earlier this year we heard feedback from some of our salaried store team members about their pay relative to our EA team members. Based on this feedback we commenced an analysis of payments and terms and conditions for salaried store team members in Woolworths Supermarkets and Metro stores.

To be thorough, we are extending this review to our other retail brands - but as the issue first arose within Supermarkets and Metro, this is where we have started.

Phase one of the review will take place before Christmas 2019

• As our initial analysis began with salaried team members in Supermarkets and Metro stores over the last two years (FY18 and F19), we aim to pay any amounts owing for this period to our team before Christmas 2019. More detailed information about the payments from this period will be communicated before the end of the year. 

Phase two of the review will take place over the remainder of the financial year

• Phase two of the review will be expanded to cover BIG W, BWS, Dan Murphy’s.
  
  
• We expect the rest of the review will be finalised over the course of the next financial year and we will endeavour to make further interim payments as the review progresses.
  
  
• To be thorough, we will also check all other award covered salaried roles to ensure compliance with any applicable modern award.

We are putting a plan in place to ensure this doesn’t happen again. Our plan includes:

• Ensuring all salaries for our current team comply with the relevant modern award. This may include adjusting salaries or introducing allowances to appropriately cover regular early morning, late night and weekend shifts. 

• Implementing a robust audit process to review team members’ remuneration against the relevant award.

• Reviewing controls around our rostering, break and clocking principles.

As we progress through this plan, we will keep you updated on actions taken, as well as any changes to our policies and processes across Woolworths Group.

As we progress through this plan, we will keep you updated on actions taken, as well as any changes to our policies and processes across Woolworths Group. 

We have already begun to evaluate our store teams’ salaries to ensure they are compliant with the General Retail Industry Award (GRIA). Where necessary, we have lifted salaries that were too low or paid a roster allowance to appropriately cover regular early morning, late night and weekend shifts. This process will continue across our retail stores in Woolworths Group over the next few months. Team Members and their Line Managers will be contacted directly in these cases. Many salaries are already set at the right level, so there will not necessarily be a change for all team members.

We are reviewing all current and former team members who worked in salaried store roles in all of our retail businesses across the Woolworths Group. The following salaried store teams are in scope for our review:

• Woolworths Supermarkets

• Metro

• BIG W

• BWS

• Dan Murphy’s

We will also perform checks across other teams covered by awards within Woolworths Group to ensure we’re compliant with the relevant modern awards. 

If you worked in a salaried store role during this period, but you have since moved to another role, the shifts you worked in the salaried store role will be reviewed.

As we are conducting this review to ensure compliance with modern award obligations, the following roles will not be considered in our review:

• EA Roles: Awards do not apply to team members who are covered by and paid under an Enterprise Agreement.  

• Salaried Roles which are not covered by a modern award, for example many Support Office team members
  
  
• Countdown: Store teams in New Zealand because they are not covered by a modern award under Australian law.

• Asia: Our team in Asia will not be considered in the review because they are not covered by a modern award under Australia law.

If you are or were a store salaried team member and have not been contacted directly by Woolworths Group by the conclusion of the review then you were not in scope for the review.

We expect to finalise the full review for all Group businesses by the end of this financial year.

If you would like to make an enquiry, you can do so through our dedicated website (woolworths.my/salariedteamreview).

Yes, we are reviewing all current and former team members who have worked in salaried store roles in all of our retail businesses across the Woolworths Group. If you recently left Woolworths, you will be considered in the review and eligible to receive a back payment if you were affected during your time with us.

We will make every effort to contact former team members who are in scope for the review. We also encourage former salaried store team members to make contact with us by visiting team.woolworths.com.au if they wish to provide updated contact details.

You will be considered in the review and eligible to receive a back payment if you were affected during the time you spent in that role - even if you have since stepped down, moved roles or left Woolworths.

If you have worked in a store salaried role in another one of our other retail businesses in the last two years, such as BWS, Dan Murphy's or BIG W, then we will also review the remuneration paid to you during your time in all relevant roles.

This means, if you have worked in a relevant role in one or more of our businesses, for example, Supermarkets and BWS, then you could potentially receive one payment as part of the Woolworths Supermarket Review, and another payment as part of the BWS Review.

As our review progresses, we will contact team members who may be affected to provide more information about the review. If you are currently employed within Woolworths Group, you will be contacted by your Line Manager with more information.

You can confirm your correct contact details by checking and updating your SuccessFactors contact details.

An in-depth review of the remuneration paid to our salaried store team members against the GRIA has begun. At this stage, we are not in a position to say with certainty who has been affected or to what extent. 

If you are in scope for the review, we will contact you directly. We expect the full review to be finalised by the end of the financial year (F20). 

We are looking at the hours you have worked and comparing what you were paid against what you were required to be paid under the GRIA. This includes an assessment of ordinary rates of pay, penalties, overtime, loadings and allowances. 

If there is a gap, we will make a payment to rectify it, plus interest and all necessary superannuation contributions

Yes, interest will be payable on back payments.

Visit woolworths.my/salariedteamreview for all the up to date information.