A Vietnamese husband and wife who ran two restaurants in Adelaide have been ordered by the Federal Court to pay over $802,000 after they underpaid migrant workers and made them buy bubble tea for their bosses. The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) won the case, securing both penalties and back payments for 36 affected staff members, most of whom were young international students from Vietnam.
The court found that Mr Viet Quoc Mai and Ms Huong Le, who owned and managed the “Mr Viet” restaurants in Rundle Mall and Adelaide’s Chinatown, paid workers as little as $15 per hour. Some employees were under 21 years old and casual staff working in the kitchen and front-of-house roles.
In total, Mr Mai was ordered to back-pay $407,546 to workers, plus interest and superannuation. He was also personally fined $265,000, while his wife Ms Le received a $130,000 penalty for her role in the violations.
The court heard shocking details, including that workers were forced to use their own money as punishment under a “strike board system.” After six strikes for minor mistakes, staff were made to buy food or bubble tea for their managers. In one case, a worker was told to transfer over $50 to Ms Le’s personal bank account to buy drinks. In another case, a worker was punished for not closing a fridge door properly.
The court also revealed that Mr Mai tried to mislead Fair Work Inspectors by providing false documents and pretending to repay underpaid wages. In one dishonest act, he gave an employee $10,000 in backpay only to demand the worker return it in cash.
Justice Stephen McDonald said Mr Mai showed “repeated dishonesty” and deliberately tried to trick regulators. He emphasized that such behavior needs strong punishment, especially when it targets vulnerable workers who are unaware of their rights or afraid to speak up.
The exploited staff were protected by laws under the Restaurant Industry Award 2010 and 2020, the Fast Food Industry Award 2010, and the Fair Work Act. The court found that many breaches were serious contraventions under the Protecting Vulnerable Workers laws, meaning higher penalties applied.
According to the FWO, the violations were exposed during surprise inspections in Adelaide’s Chinatown in 2021. Inspectors uncovered widespread non-compliance and helped recover wages for over 300 underpaid workers across multiple outlets.
Fair Work Ombudsman Anna Booth condemned the couple’s actions, saying, “These penalties send a strong message that exploiting migrant workers will not be tolerated in Australia.”
She added, “We take such cases very seriously, especially when visa holders are involved. There are protections in place for any worker who speaks out.”
Between 2017 and 2024, the FWO launched 146 legal actions involving migrant workers and secured nearly $23 million in penalties.
This case serves as a warning to other business owners in the food industry who may try to take advantage of vulnerable workers. Employers are reminded that honesty, fair pay, and lawful treatment of all staff are not optional – they are legal requirements.