<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The University of Adelaide is under investigation after admitting to underpaying more than 830 former casual academic staff $1.25 million over eight years.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The institution confirmed it uncovered underpayments to staff between March 2017 to May 2025 after ramping up its auditing and payment monitoring due to the prevalence of underpayments within the industry.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The audit found that hundreds of current and former casual academic staff with a PhD or in a course coordinator role were not paid the higher rates they were entitled to.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/bird-flu-found-in-elephant-seals-in-antarctica-australia-territory/d17113b5-d775-45eb-a3f8-5d94718b4f78" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Suspected H5 bird flu outbreak on Australian island</span></strong></a><span></span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This led to 838 staff being underpaid about $1.25 million. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"While this represents less than 0.05 per cent of salary payments over that period, it is still unfortunate and very regrettable," a University of Adelaide spokesperson said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The university deeply regrets that the underpayments occurred and is remediating staff as quickly as possible.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/university-of-adelaide-underpayments-to-staff-fair-work-ombudsman-investigating/60d8abd4-3f49-4666-b39c-1b31e970d3f6" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Impacted current and former staff have been contacted and repayments have started."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The university has notified the Fair Work Ombudsman.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We will continue to implement, enhance, and strengthen our processes and controls," the spokesperson said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/nz-to-syd-flight-technical-issue/1b5cb01c-003c-4c85-9afa-39af70e8b992" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Flight from New Zealand to Sydney suffers technical issue in the air</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The university's auditing and monitoring activities are continuing, and if any other instances of underpayments are identified, affected staff will be contacted by the university and remediated as quickly as possible."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Fair Work Ombudsman said it is investigating the underpayments.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We expect any employers that identify non-compliance to fully cooperate with our investigations," a spokesperson said in a statement.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It is not appropriate to comment further."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Any staff from the university who may have concerns should contact the ombudsman.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/dezi-freeman-search-taskforce-to-take-over-manhunt-porepunkah-mount-buffalo-victoria-crime-news/0aaecc4d-293a-4d1a-809d-0af5759dc0af" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Specialist taskforce to take over search for Dezi Freeman</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Fair Work began targeting systemic non-compliance in the university sector in 2022, which the National Tertiary Education Union has labelled as a "wage theft epidemic".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The ombudsman has entered into enforceable undertakings with the University of Sydney, University of Technology Sydney, University of Newcastle, La Trobe University, University of Melbourne, Charles Sturt University and Griffith University.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>It has won court penalties against the University of Melbourne and has ongoing legal action against the University of NSW. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The University of Wollongong has recently repaid $6.6 million to more than 5000 underpaid staff.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" 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