Unpacking the KFC Australia Class Action Lawsuit

KFC Australia is currently under a Class Action Investigation by Shine Lawyers. The reason for the investigation is that workers are not getting their paid 10-minute breaks.

Under the Fast Food Industry Award, workers are entitled to 2 ten minute paid breaks for shifts longer than nine hours and 1 ten minutes for shifts longer than four hours.

You or your children may be able to join the class action if you meet the following criteria.

Are you Eligible?

1. You must be a current or former KFC worker; and
2. Worked at a KFC restaurant in Australia between October 2017 and 2023; and
3. Not received at least one 10-minute paid break you were entitled to.

You can register here and potentially be eligible for compensation if you meet all of the requirements listed above.

Although KFC is by no means the only company that fails to provide paid 10-minute breaks to its employees. When we were busy at my previous fast-food franchise, I would rarely not receive my 30-minute unpaid break and would be offered a free meal to skip it, or I would sometimes not even get a 10-minute paid break unless you asked a manager. You can report unethical treatment at work here if you find yourself in a similar situation.

The Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA) are legal documents that cover certain employers and employees set out minimum employment terms and conditions. To read your EBA you can use this website to search and view it. If you also want to find what award you are under, for example in this scenario, you would be under the Fast Food Industry Award where you can find information about minimum pay, hours of work, allowances, leave and termination. If you are looking to find what award you are under, you can use the Find My Award website or ask your employer.