Recently, we brought together a group of key stakeholders from across the employment, legal and social sectors to talk about the future of work. Each person we spoke to had a unique perspective to share on what’s changing and what needs to change.
Together, we explored what’s happening, what’s working, and where our collective focus should be next. Our shared dialogue began with an important truth: not all employers act maliciously. From there, the conversation opened up to the limits of technology, the need for better education and enforcement, and the importance of responding to workplace exploitation with understanding and empathy.
At its heart, this discussion came down to two things: complexity and humanity. The complexity of Australia’s payroll systems and industrial awards, and the human cost of exploitation, marked by fear, shame, and silence.
A key theme that surfaced was that wage theft isn’t always driven by bad actors; it’s often the result of a deeply complex system. Australia’s payroll and industrial award structures make accurate payment difficult, even for well-intentioned employers.
We also discussed the global payroll complexity index, which currently ranks Australia as the sixth most complex payroll system in the world. While we’re not at the very top of the list, this ranking underscores the scale of the challenge and the systemic factors that continue to perpetuate the problem.
“...what exacerbates the problem is Australian employers have payroll and HRM systems that aren’t designed for the Australian use case.”
While the technical challenges are real, the bigger barrier is often emotional. Many young or vulnerable workers are too scared to speak up - shaped by a culture of being “grateful for a job” and the fear of losing it.
“It’s the complete and total debilitating fear of adverse action from employers. You can try to assert your rights, but if the boss doesn’t like that, you get fired. And then what recourse do you have?”
“There’s a sense of shame - like if I’ve got to the point where I’m talking to a lawyer, I’ve failed.”
These human experiences remind us that behind every underpayment is a person navigating fear, uncertainty, and stigma.
Participants also reflected on how hard it is for people to use the legal system at all. Even when rights exist on paper, the path to enforcing them is so complex and intimidating that it often feels fictional.
“The idea that our legal system offers this avenue for recourse is, in some way, a fiction.”
“The search experience of the law is extremely poor. The right information is out there, but it’s not necessarily the first thing that shows.”
This gap between having rights and being able to act on them reveals a fundamental weakness in our current system of justice.
One of the most hopeful ideas during our discussion that emerged was a reframing - from seeing issues as “legal problems” to recognising them as “life problems.” This means acting earlier, talking sooner, and supporting people before conflicts escalate into disputes.
“Your legal rights… you don’t really want to use that language if it’s just a life problem.”
“Perhaps it's time to it’s addressing everything from the frame of workplace wellbeing and what makes a healthy and safe work environment.”
“Avoiding the legal system - that’s the best outcome we can generate.”
When we shift the focus to workplace wellbeing, we create space for fairness to be understood in many different ways, not just through a legal lens. This broader perspective also opens up a much greater opportunity for us to be front of mind when people think about work - not only when something goes wrong, but as a trusted buddy who is on your side at work.
Technology, and AI in particular, was recognised as both an opportunity and a risk. On one hand, it can empower people - helping them understand their rights, record their hours, or prepare claims. On the other, it can overwhelm institutions when thousands of people act at once without support.
“If you want to make a difference this week, give young and vulnerable workers the ability to account for their time. When you get to work, click this button. When you leave, click this button. Now you’ve got a timesheet.”
The message is clear: technology is most powerful when it builds confidence, not confusion.
The future of fair work in Australia won’t be solved by any one actor or any one technology. It will take more education, better tools leading to systemic reform. At Sweep, we’re continuing this conversation and exploring how technology can simplify complexity, support confidence, and make fairness part of everyday work.
If you’re interested in joining the dialogue or sharing your perspective, we’d love to hear from you.
