Landmark decision in trainee wage theft case
The federal court has delivered a historic judgement in favour of a junior doctor bringing a wage theft class action against a Victorian health service provider.
The federal court has found in favour of a young Melbourne doctor, Gaby Bolton, in a class action for unpaid overtime against Peninsula Health, the main provider of public health services for Frankston and the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria.
With nine further class actions being brought against 15 health services across Australia for systemic and widespread underpayment of wages, this first judgement is a significant win for junior doctors.
Doctors in Training are a key part of our health system and are increasingly used in hospitals to support 24/7 service delivery.
Data from Ahpra’s 2022 Medical Training Survey (MTS) shows doctors in training often experience heavy workloads and work unpaid overtime, which has a negative impact on both their training and wellbeing.
The MTS reported half (53%) of all doctors in training rate their workload as ‘heavy’ or ‘very heavy’ and 22 per cent of doctors in training report having to work unpaid overtime ‘always’ or ‘most of the time’ causes adverse impacts to wellbeing.
AMA continues to advocate for safe working and training environments for doctors in training. This includes doctors receiving pay for hours they have worked, and safe rostering to protect doctor in training physical and mental wellbeing.
