'We take these allegations seriously and are reviewing this matter as a priority,' Domino's says
Twelve Domino's Pizza outlets in South Australia have been restricted from employing trainees or apprentices after failing to meet their obligations under the SA Skills Act 2008.
The South Australian Skills Commission declared Team Van Diemen SA Pty Limited, the outlets' operator, a prohibited employer after a six-month investigation.
Its sole director, Mark Peter Johnson, has also been declared a prohibited employer under the declaration.
Prohibited employers in South Australia are restricted from hiring apprentices or trainees either directly or through a host employer arrangement.
The prohibition follows an investigation by the SA Skills Commission, which revealed concerns about Team Van Diemen's handling of training programmes for its junior staff across the 12 stores, ABC News reported.
One of the significant issues was that the franchisee had been paying trainees at lower wages without fulfilling their training requirements.
Skills Commissioner Cameron Baker described the findings as typical of what he has seen in other fast-food chains.
"Our investigation found that a majority of the trainees employed by the prohibited employer were not actually released to undertake training," Baker said, as quoted by ABC.
He added that many of the affected employees were enrolled in Certificate III in retail, a qualification often pursued in the fast-food sector. However, the trainees were never given the opportunity to complete essential food safety training, which is a key component of the qualification.
According to the commission, the company has only successfully completed 48 training contracts out of 269 since the company's registration in 2021.
Another 72 training contracts were withdrawn, while 145 were terminated due to either limited or no off-job training undertaken by trainees.
"This is a clear case where the employer has not acted in the best interests of its trainees and has failed to provide the support required for their training," said Blair Boyer, Minister for Education, Training, and Skills, in a statement.
There were four remaining active training contracts at the time of the restriction, but they were all terminated once the prohibition was imposed. The SA government has pledged support to help those affected continue their training.
A Domino's spokesperson said the company was committed to ensuring compliance with workplace obligations and that it was taking the issue seriously.
"Domino's was not aware of the circumstances leading to the franchisee being named on the Prohibited Employer Register. We take these allegations seriously and are reviewing this matter as a priority," the spokesperson stated, as quoted by ABC News.
This recent case comes as the South Australian Skills Commission reported a 27% increase in employers investigated in 2024 compared to the previous year.
It follows the stronger and greater regulatory functions received by the commission to protect trainees and apprentices.
"Enhanced compliance capabilities, including taking appropriate sanctions against non-compliant employers, enables the Commission to take prompt action to protect trainees and apprentices from exploitation and mistreatment," Baker said in a statement.