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The Health and Fitness Association of Australia has advised that the Fair Work Ombudsman was contacted by workers in the fitness industry 6,267 times over the last five years, a figure which the association indicates represents almost 15% of the entire industry’s workforce as having reached out for help or advice.

Released following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted by Health and Fitness Association of Australia (HAFAA), in addition to the 14.28% of the industry’s workforce seeking help or advice, the Ombudsman also advised of the criteria required for its involvement, which is not publicly available.

These criteria are:

1. The enquiry falls within the jurisdiction of the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO).
2. The allegations relate to a minimum entitlement under an industrial instrument.
3. The worker has attempted to resolve the issue directly at the workplace level, but it remains unresolved.
4. The worker is seeking FWO involvement.
5. The worker understands FWO will assess the allegations and decide what (if any) response to take, based on evidence provided.
6. The worker is willing to participate in the process, requiring - employer contact and for the employee's identity to be disclosed - in order to even enquire about any allegations of unfair work practices.

Looking into those reaching out for help or advice, HAFAA) noted its concern that only 408 of these inquiries (6.5%) were escalated to formal Requests for Assistance (RfAs) and that of those, just 80 were investigated (1.3% of all contacts).

In a social media post, HAFAA wrote “for an industry employing nearly 43,900 people, these figures show how few cases actually receive further attention, raising serious questions about the system’s ability to support workers” noting that “this poses a serious risk to fitness industry workers, most of whom are casual.

“It makes the process almost impossible for many due to the threat to their job security.”

It added that “shockingly however, the Ombudsman has advised us, in writing, that the ‘fitness industry is not a priority industry’."

It went on to advise “HAFAA will continue to advocate for fitness industry workers by collecting comparable data, escalating policy reform and fighting to ensure workers in our industry are prioritised and protected.”

HAFAA is inviting industry workers with experience of reaching out to the Fair Work Ombudsman to share their experiences by emailing info@healthandfitness.org.au

The Health and Fitness Association of Australia
HAFAA is an industry association providing registration for professionals in the Australian fitness industry.

It advises that its “purpose is to provide advocacy for fitness professionals and education across employment rights and responsibilities.

It also notes that “we aim to be an Industry Body that provides value with registration by providing services and benefits that we believe fitness professionals will utilise, including industry-specific discounts, insurance, masterclasses, union information and advice and more.”

Click here to visit the HAFAA website. 

Image credit: Shutterstock.

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