Boss Justifies Self For Deducting Almost $300 From Employees Payslip Because Over Mobile Phone Usage

An employee has turned to social media for advice after his employer deducted half of his wage because he was on his mobile phone. The former staff of Birdies Mini Golf and Sports Bar shared his payslip on Reddit, which immediately went viral with members telling him that was illegal.

“I single-handedly worked at the place from open to close. I did use my phone when there are no customers. Is this legal?”

The former employee, who’s based in Melbourne, Australia, shared the deeds, “I work in hospitality and I have been deducted 5 hours of pay for ‘mobile phone use.'” He admitted to using the phone, but didn’t think that was worth the $298.65 deduction.

The sole owner of the Birdies Mini Golf and Sports bar, Stephanie Doyle, shared her side with 7News, “Normally, all you have to do is have a conversation about an issue with staff to move forward.He’d been warned his phone usage was excessive, he was reminded of the policy, said he wouldn’t do it again.”

“I don’t have a problem with someone checking their messages as a 20-second thing and then it goes back in their pocket, but there’s a big difference between that scenario and what happened here. He started at 12 and by 12.25pm he was on his phone and wasn’t doing any of the tasks for the day.”

She’s also since complained about the threats and vile emails she’s received that are affecting her business. Doyled continued, “People are calling my business to threaten and abuse my staff – awful calls no one should have to receive, and emails with the most vile things in them are being sent using the worst language.”

She’s even claimed that she flew down from Sydney because the bar was left in such a poor state to clean it up.

The plot thickens as it was the employee’s turn to receive threats, “Did get a no-caller ID.”

“I have got no response from birdies after trying to contact,” he later updated. “Did get a no caller id call with a voice I recognise, I’ve met him before and I believe he is one of the owners.”

“He threatened to post posters in Melbourne University (my uni) saying that I am a p******ile. That’s the kind of people I’m dealing with.”

He later also talked to 7News and shared that the bar owner sent him repeated text messages and some of them read, “Please don’t be on the phone, you need to be working. There is always something to clean and tidy up. I don’t want to be an ogre but you can’t just stand there.”

But he clarified later that his job was “to look after customers.” And United Workers Union Imogen Beynen emphasized, “It’s unlawful and in fact, it’s probably wage theft.”

She continued adding that bosses would send instructions to you through your phone but would also dock your pay if you’re on it and “that’s not right.” On top of that, he’s also working for a 9-hour shift without a single break in between, which is also illegal according to the Fair Work Commission.