Should underpaying bosses go to jail?

The federal government is eager to criminalise wage theft and is considering the introduction of jail sentences of up to 10 years for serious offenders. Punishing bosses for the underpayment of staff is a key plank of the government’s industrial relations reform package. Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter will introduce a discussion paper this week that will define “the threshold for criminal sanctions” with the government agreeing that significant jail time is needed “to deter further cases.”