7-11 Stores Exploiting Employees

confusedhuh on 04/09/2015 - 07:46
Last edited 04/09/2015 - 09:54 by 1 other user

Just saw this 4corners news piece where 7-11 stores are exploiting employees on student visas, link below – for people without time - summary

a) Employees are being heavily underpaid(10$to12$ per hour) no shift loading etc
b) 7-11 corporate office knows about it and turns a blind eye in fact the franchise model is designed in such a way that that you can’t make profit without underpaying employees.

http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2015/08/30/4301164.ht…

Now, here’s the question, I agree it’s a heart breaking story but lets be devil’s advocate for a while, even though the company is at fault – say 95% of the time isn’t it true that even the employees are at fault 5% of the time ?
I mean they were told that being on student visa they cant work more that 20 hours however 7-11 gave them more shifts for less pay – and they agreed to it however later complained about underpayment?
Also there were stories of how employees have been underpaid for an year or more – shouldn’t they have taken action before that - all these students are enrolled in top universities with access to multiple resources ?

Just curious – not supporting 7-11 they are of course greedy corrupt corporates

Related Stores

7-Eleven

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  chumlee on 04/09/2015 - 07:52

  +1

  Anyone who breaks the law should be dealt with by the law - employer or employees. 7-11 with all the resources they have available to them should know better and be a good corporate citizen and not exploit vulnerable workers.

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  [Deactivated] on 04/09/2015 - 09:13

  +2

  Think about who is in a position of power here. Think about the balance of power here. Think about who truly had something to gain from workers working more hours for the same/less money.

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  BuyoTheCat on 04/09/2015 - 09:24

  2 wrongs do not make a right. You cannot treat this as one case. One case of exploiting workers on student visa and another of people violating their visa conditions.

  If that episode from 4 corners can be taken at face value, it would mean that 7-11's business model is only profitable if they underpay employees. That is a sad way to make money.

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  cypher67 on 04/09/2015 - 09:37

  I highly doubt the company its encourages or is even aware this is happening. Most 7-11's are privately owned and it would be the owners who are exploiting their own countrymen to put more coin in their pockets. If imagine this is happening across most of the entry level jobs in Australia. Government needs to get smarter, look at how much wages are paid out of stores vs the number of hours they are open or something.

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    danield on 04/09/2015 - 12:36

    +1

    look at how much wages are paid out of stores vs the number of hours they are open

    This is exactly what the reporters did in this story. Went under cover by posing as a perspective buyer of a franchise. It also was very convincing that the HQ is aware and is turning a blind eye to the practice by the franchises. They had an insider whistle blower explaining how HQ only care about there %57 they get from each franchise and the rest is up to the franchise owner to make ends meet however they see fit, typically by exploiting the workers.

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  Happy Bergin on 04/09/2015 - 14:49

  Is this article about the $2 sandwiches on Wednesday?

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  DeafMutePretender on 05/09/2015 - 23:43

  Grill'd, 7/11, Fruit Picking, Asian Restaurants, and now United Petroleum: 7-Eleven wage abuse claims spread to national petrol chain United Petroleum

  One franchisee operating a service station that is open 24 hours a day has admitted to paying his workers just $15 per hour.

  He said he has put employees on the books for doing 20 hours of work rather than the actual 40-50 per employee.

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  DeafMutePretender on 30/09/2015 - 22:02

  +1

  2 of the bigwigs of private company 7/11 (one of them a CEO) just resigned.

  And a few weeks ago, a bigwig(ears) of the public in-power Government resigned.

  I'm starting to notice a pattern. Get the top job, mess everything up, quit, and get a golden parachute/taxpayer-funded pension. Good bye old boss, meet the new boss.