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News.com.au
2 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Beauty clinics collapse around Sydney, staff and customers left in limbo
Authorities are investigating a beauty chain after it abruptly shut its doors, leaving staff unpaid and customers hundreds of dollars out of pocket. can reveal that Future Laser and Body Clinic, which had three stores in Sydney, has ceased trading. Customers had forked out hundreds of dollars in prepaid laser sessions while staff who spoke to on condition of anonymity said they are owed thousands in unpaid wages and superannuation. Future Laser and Body Clinics is currently the second most complained about business in the state according to the NSW Fair Trading register, receiving 49 complaints from customers in the past month. The only business that has received more complaints is Mos X, a struggling moss selling business founded by ex Married At First Sight star Brent Vitiello, with a total of 68 customer reports. NSW Fair Trading confirmed they are investigating Future Laser and Body Clinic. knows several employees who have also made complaints to the Fair Work Ombudsman. Staff claim they were subjected to a 'toxic' work environment where they were pushed to meet ambitious business targets or be fired, and that issues with the company's solvency had cropped up as early as last year. 'Therapists weren't showing up because they weren't being paid,' said Amani, a 19-year-old beauty therapist who estimates she is owed between $7000 and $10,000 in unpaid wages. Aesthetic Laser and Body Clinic Pty Ltd is the holding entity of Future Laser and Body Clinics. Ibrahem 'Ibby' Sabra, a 33-year-old from Sydney's west, is listed as the sole director and owner of the holding company, according to ASIC documents. The business is still registered. Bizcap AU, which provides loans to small businesses, lodged winding up proceedings against the business and three other company Mr Sabra directs in May. Court documents state the businesses cumulatively owe $79,000 after a debt was taken out last year. understands Bizcap AU had made several efforts to recover their funds before taking legal action. They were contacted for comment. This is not the first time a beauty business run by Mr Sabra has sensationally collapsed; in 2023, Elan Laser Clinics, with stores in Sydney and the Gold Coast, also bit the dust. The Elan business was transferred to another man from Western Sydney. Although Elan is still a registered company on ASIC, it does not appear to be trading. Its emails bounced and its phone number is disconnected and it hasn't made a post on social media since 2023. Elan Laser Clinics and Mr Sabra have been contacted for comment. Elan Laser was offering up to 80 per cent off laser services for customers who prepaid before it shut down with no explanation. And a similar occurrence has happened at Future Laser. Customers told they were coaxed into handing over hundreds of dollars in prepayments because of a series of promotions that was advertised in the months leading up to Future Laser's shut down. Do you know more or have a similar story? Get in touch | Amira Hussein, 30, said she was a regular customer and used to drive more than an hour to get to a Future Laser clinic in Granville. Ms Hussein, a single mum, saw a deal where if she bulk bought four sessions minimum, she got everything for half price – $150 instead of $300. 'I thought that's actually good,' she told 'I said I'll do it. They said they would like my payment straight away.' Although she paid for the treatments at the end of last year, Future Laser told her they were fully booked out until April. But by the time her appointment date came and went, the business had shut up shop. 'Closer to the date I tried to call them so many times,' she lamented. When calls, texts and messages on social media went unanswered, she went to their Granville branch and saw it had shut down. 'That's $720 down the drain. I haven't even had one facial or laser,' Ms Hussein said. Then there's Tatjana Nikcevic, who jumped at the opportunity to get a full body laser treatment for $75 a session as normally it would cost at least $300. The 24-year-old paid for 10 sessions upfront as part of the promotion in January. Ms Nikcevic managed to get to one laser session but after that, every time she tried to lock down an appointment time, she received a text message informing her the treatment had been cancelled 'due to unforeseen circumstances'. She tried to call the business but its number had been disconnected. And when she visited the clinic, its roller doors were shut for good. 'I'm currently working in a warehouse. I work hard for my money,' Ms Nikcevic said. She's been left more than $600 out of pocket. Staff claim they've had trouble getting paid as far back as last year – and have said the writing was on the wall given the pressure they were under to make money. A number of women who worked at Future Laser – most of them aged between 19 and 21 – claim they were 'verbally abused' during their shifts and were threatened with termination to incentivise them to push more treatments on customers. Jacinta* has lodged a claim with the Fair Work Ombudsman claiming she is owed as much as $5000 in unpaid wages from November. 'I left in November,' Jacinta said. 'They stopped paying me, so I stopped showing up to work. We were begging for our pay.' Future Laser then began launching promotions to customers the following month. Another beauty therapist, Amani, said the business set them insane KPI targets to meet. 'They threatened us. If we don't make $1500 a day we'd get fired, we had to make that much money or we'd get told off or screamed at,' she said. Amani is owed the most that knows of – which could be as high as $10,000 – and has lodged a claim with the Fair Work ombudsman. She said her contract stated that if she burned a customer, or if they otherwise left a complaint about a negative experience, then Future Laser would deduct $200 from her pay. So when she ended up resigning after months of not being paid, she was shocked the discover the business was deducting more than $2000 from her final wages. 'When I was quitting, I had no customer complaints. I was not aware of anything (like that),' Amani said. Emma*, 19, another beauty clinician who is owed thousands, claims the only payment she ever received was done through PayID, which she found 'weird'. She also said she sometimes worked 9am until 9pm with no breaks. And she was expected to get to work half an hour early, so was supposed to be there by 8.30am. If she got there at 8.35am, she was told off for being late. It led to long, exhausting 12.5 hour days. Emma also said staff would be berated if they didn't make video content of the work they were doing. 'It wasn't the best environment.' Staff were informed that the Wetherill Park clinic was undergoing renovations – but Emma said she later found out it had simply shut down.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
1880 Hong Kong club folds after 7 months, accused of owing staff unpaid wages
The Hong Kong branch of a Singapore-based private club, which recently closed its doors after only seven months of operation, has been accused of owing rent and more than 100 employees unpaid wages since April, with the Labour Department receiving requests for help from affected workers. 1880 Hong Kong, located at Swire Properties' office complex Two Taikoo Place in Quarry Bay last Friday announced its immediate cessation of operations, citing 'cash flow difficulties' and failed attempts to raise funds. All memberships and associated privileges were discontinued. The landlord told the Post that 'rent and other arrears' were still owed but declined to disclose more details due to confidentiality concerns. They have repossessed the premises. The club, which only opened its doors on November 8 last year, occupied four floors offering event spaces, a gym with spa facilities, and several restaurants. In an internal letter seen by the Post, founder Marc Nicolson apologised to his employees for the closure, saying the 'deal' they had been trying to close had been unsuccessful. He said he asked employees to trust him and continue working, as he believed he could raise the capital to save the company.
Irish Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Second worker wins claim for unpaid wages against solicitor
A solicitor's receptionist who said she was left 'financially challenged' for months after being left out of work when her ex-employer closed down his law office has become the second worker to win a claim for unpaid wages against him. The worker, Charlotte O'Regan, has won an order for the payment of wages, worth €830.73 gross, more than a year after she was let go by David Gaffney, trading as Gaffney Solicitors. The Workplace Relations Commission gave the direction on foot of Ms O'Regan's complaint under the Payment of Wages Act 1991, to which Mr Gaffney entered no defence. The tribunal heard that Mr Gaffney wrote to Ms O'Regan on 26 April 2024 informing her that her job would be terminated on Friday 3 May 2024. READ MORE 'On the termination date, should there be sufficient funds, you shall receive your statutory redundancy entitlement and accrued annual leave entitlements,' Mr Gaffney's letter stated. 'Alternatively, I, with the assistance of [my] accountants shall assist you in making an application to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment for the purpose of obtaining such statutory entitlements,' it added. Ms O'Regan explained that her efforts to secure the sum of €873.73 in unpaid wages was met initially with a 'stated positive plan to pay' by Mr Gaffney which 'did not materialise'. Ms O'Regan said she was 'financially challenged' for the six months following her dismissal up to October 2024, when she got advice on the matter and wrote to Mr Gaffney re-stating her claim for unpaid wages. She pointed out in her letter that she had 'no recourse' to the Insolvency Payment Scheme because she had been his direct employee as 'an unincorporated sole trader'. Adjudicator Patsy Doyle noted in her decision that there was 'no appearance by or on behalf of' Mr Gaffney and that 'no defence was offered in the case'. Ms Doyle wrote that €870.73 in gross wages, comprising three days' work and a week's pay in lieu of notice was due to Ms O'Regan and made an order for the payment of the net value of the wages after statutory deductions. The adjudicator wrote that it was 'regrettable' to see a 'deterioration in WhatsApp communications' over the six months Ms O'Regan was pursuing her wages. She wrote that it had been a 'mistake' for the worker to keep a set of office keys in a bid to strengthen her hand. 'I make this order in the hope that payment of this amount will afford closure to the complainant in what has clearly been a distressing pursuance of unpaid wages,' Ms Doyle added. Ms O'Regan is the second former employee of the law office to secure a claim for unpaid wages against the solicitor, following a decision in favour of his former secretary, Leona Erangey, for some €4,687. In Ms Erangey's case, it was noted that Mr Gaffney appeared before the tribunal at a hearing on 28th November 2024 and confirmed that he was 'insolvent'.
ABC News
22-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Western United served breach notices for not paying A-League players
Embattled A-Leagues club Western United has been served with breach notices by both its men's and women's players over unpaid wages and superannuation. Western's A-League Men players have to attempt to overturn a 3-0 deficit in Saturday's semifinal second leg against Melbourne City after not receiving their most recent pay. The soccer players' union, Professional Footballers Australia (PFA), has lashed United's "unacceptable" conduct and on Tuesday issued breach notices. United must complete payments within two weeks, by Tuesday, June 3, or players can take further action, including termination of contract. "The ongoing failure of Western United to meet its contractual obligations to players, including unpaid wages and superannuation, is unacceptable," chief executive Beau Busch said in a statement. "The professionalism and commitment of the players and staff in extremely difficult circumstances has been remarkable. "We are actively engaging with both the club and the APL to ensure the matter is resolved swiftly and the players will continue to be supported with the full resources of the PFA." It is just the latest blow to the expansion club, which is currently subject to a men's player registration ban from FIFA, understood to relate to a dispute with former striker Aleksandar Prijovic. United cannot register new players until January 2027 unless that dispute is resolved. The Tarneit-based club had fallen behind on payments in a previous pay cycle but were able to complete them. It is understood the PFA had been optimistic United's pay situation would be resolved with the announcement earlier this month that incoming new investors will take a controlling stake in parent company Western Melbourne Group. Instead, unpaid men's and women's players attended the club's end-of-season awards night on Tuesday, the same day their union lodged the breach notices on their behalf. "The club has been in constant communication with the players and is working closely with the PFA and the APL to address these matters urgently," United said in a statement. "Everyone at the club is fully focused on our semifinal second leg against Melbourne City on Saturday and we look forward to seeing our supporters and Australian football fans in attendance for a fantastic occasion." The sale to KAM Melbourne, a subsidiary of American group KAM Sports, is subject to regulatory checks from the APL and Football Australia. The PFA is also conducting its own due diligence checks on KAM Melbourne. AAP has contacted the APL for comment. AAP
News.com.au
21-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Western United in turmoil, with players allegedly owed wages and superannuation
Western United is facing a player revolt, with the club having been slapped with breach notices from most of the its men's and women's players for unpaid wages and superannuation. Professional Footballers Australia served United with the breach notices on Tuesday, giving the club two weeks to pay the players the money that they are allegedly owed. If the money isn't paid on time, players will be entitled to leave to the club, regardless of their contract status. It's understood United – whose men's team meet Melbourne City in a semi-final second-leg clash on Saturday night at AAMI Park – may also face sanctions should the money not be paid. The failure to pay wages and superannuation has occurred despite United announcing earlier this month that KAM Melbourne, a subsidiary of American organisation KAM Sports, had bought a controlling stake in the financially embattled club and its parent company, Western Melbourne Group. It's understood that KAM Melbourne committed to paying about $100 million for the majority ownership stake. “We’ve done it. We can do itâ€� 🗣ï¸� The boss is ready for Saturday night 😤 — Western United FC (@wufcofficial) May 21, 2025 However, the sale remains subject to the 'successful completion' of the 'necessary approval processes' by Wyndham City and the APL, which runs the A-League, and 'regulatory processes' by Football Australia. The PFA is also conducting its own due diligence process on KAM Melbourne to ensure that the best interests of the players, and the integrity of the A-League men's and women's competitions, are upheld. PFA chief executive officer Beau Busch slammed United's conduct. 'The ongoing failure of Western United to meet its contractual obligations to players, including unpaid wages and superannuation, is unacceptable,' Busch said. 'The professionalism and commitment of the players and staff in extremely difficult circumstances has been remarkable. 'We are actively engaging with both the club and the APL to ensure the matter is resolved swiftly, and the players will continue to be supported with the full resources of the PFA.' In a club statement released on Wednesday night, United said: 'The club has been in constant communication with the players and is working closely with the PFA and the APL to address these matters urgently. 'Everyone at the club is fully focused on our semi-final second leg against Melbourne City on Saturday, and we look forward to seeing our supporters and Australian football fans in attendance for a fantastic occasion.'
