Eligible employees are able to lodge a claim for their unpaid wages and entitlements through the Fair Entitlements Guarantee (“FEG”) scheme of the Attorney-General’s Department.
Eligible employees may be able to claim the following through FEG:
- Unpaid wages – up to thirteen (13) weeks;
- Unpaid annual leave and long service leave;
- Payment in lieu of notice – up to five (5) weeks; and
- Redundancy pay – up to four (4) weeks per full year of service.
Eligibility requirements to access the FEG scheme are as follows:
- You were an Australian Citizen or held a permanent visa or special category visa that allows you to stay and work in Australia at the time your employment ended.
- You have lodged an effective claim within twelve (12) months of the date your employment ceased or the date of liquidation (whichever is later); and
- You are owed one of the following entitlements: wages, annual leave, long service leave, redundancy or payment in lieu of notice.
You will not be eligible under the FEG scheme if, for example:
- You were a contractor; or
- You are (or were within 12 months before the date of liquidation) a director of the company, or a spouse or relative (as defined by the Corporations Act 2001) of an employee director of the company.
For further information on the FEG scheme and how to submit a claim, please visit the FEG website at https://www.ag.gov.au/FEG or access the information sheet here. Information sheet to be downloaded from – https://www.ag.gov.au/industrial-relations/publications/general-information-claimants