What happened?

A Melbourne dental practice has been fined $16,500 by the Federal Circuit Court.

In addition to the fine, the practice was ordered to calculate and back-pay employee entitlements.

A Fair Work Inspector had issued the Compliance Notice after investigating two former employees.

One employee (a dental prosthetist) was allegedly not paid casual loading entitlements for weekdays during their tenure.

The other (a full-time dental technician) was alleged to have been denied accrued annual leave and leave loading when their employment ended.

What the Ombudsman Says

  • The Fair Work Ombudsman emphasised that businesses ignoring Compliance Notices risk legal action and financial penalties.

  • She also encouraged any employee who suspects underpayment or unfair treatment to contact Fair Work for free advice.

Why This Matters (Key Takeaways)

  • Compliance Notices are enforceable: practices must not ignore them.

  • Penalties are not just symbolic — companies may be forced to remedy past underpayments, including interest.

  • Workers can take action against you for unpaid entitlements, even after their employment ends.

  • Vigilance is essential for practice owners: failing to comply with awards or notices may lead to civil fines.

Cases like this aren’t rare, they’re just rarely reported.

Even experienced practice owners get caught out by common legal pitfalls.

That’s why we created a free 30-minute webinar (claim 0.5 CPD hours).

You’ll learn how to spot these risks early and keep your focus where it belongs: on patients, not paperwork.

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(0.5 CPD Hours)

5 Legal Blind Spots
Costing Dentists $$$

Duration: 30 minutes | Claim 0.5 CPD hours

Enter your details below to watch the webinar now (on-demand)

What You'll Learn

  • Five common legal mistakes made by dental practice owners:

    - Non-Compliant Patient Consents
    - Risky Employment Practices
    - Misclassifying Contractors, including how to minimise or avoid payroll tax
    - Illegal Advertising
    - Poor Business Structuring

  • How to avoid or resolve those mistakes.

  • Practical tips you can apply today.

Bonus for Attendees

Watch to the end and receive your Dental Practice Legal Checklist so you can quickly check if your practice complies with Australian law.

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(0.5 CPD hours)

Presented by

David Chung

Founder & Lead Educator

David has been a commercial lawyer for 15 years and founded Creo Legal, a boutique commercial law firm specialising in health law.

He has worked with dozens of dental practice owners across Australia, helping them to set up, run, buy, and sell their practices.

He created Legal Radar after seeing too many clients seek help after problems arose.

His mission: to help dentists build legally secure, stress-free practices.

Don't miss your CPD deadline - 30 November 2025

Watch our webinar and claim 0.5 CPD hours now.

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(0.5 CPD hours)
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