Victorian Restaurant Owner First To Face Wage Theft Charges

A Victorian restaurant owner is being charged with wage theft for allegedly failing to accurately pay staff members.

Gaurav Setia is the first person to face criminal charges over alleged wage theft in Victoria since the new laws were introduced in 2020.

Setia is facing up to 10 years in prison and over $1 million in corporate fines. 

Wage Inspectorate Victoria filed 94 criminal charges against Guarav and his restaurant the Macedon Lounge on Friday of last week after he allegedly failed to pay four of his staff members over $7,000.

Stay up-to-date on the latest news with The VIC Briefing - keeping you in the loop with the region’s breaking news as it hits.

According to court documents, Macedon Lounge and its “officer” deliberately underpaid staff from July to November of 2021 including superannuation, wages and penalty rates. 

New laws were introduced by the Victorian Government in 2020 making wage theft a crime and punishable by up to 10 years in prison by the business owner and fines of up $1.1 million for the business. 

The charges against Setia are the first wage theft charges to be laid in Victoria since the new law came into effect in June of 2021.

Subscribe to The Briefing, Australia's fastest-growing news podcast on Listnr today. serves up the latest news headlines and a deep dive into a topic affecting you. All in under 20 minutes.