Made redundant and owed $50K by the company

[Sinjun]

Hello;

I was made redundant in January.

The company had not paid me since October, and owe me, including lieu and outstanding holiday, $50K.

The company has < 5 employees, is cash strapped and unable to pay many of its bills, including other current and past employees.

What should I do?, am I able to claim through fairwork? Does the company need to be made insolvement?

thankyou

-SJ

 

[Rod]

See a lawyer, or make a report to the FW Ombudsman.

Advantage of Ombudsman - Free
Disadvantage - if it does act against your employer its actions might be enough to push it into administration/liquidation.

 

[Sinjun]

Thanks Rod;

I am figuring the only way I will see this money is IF the company is put into administration, then I am able to claim unpaid salary through the Fair entitlements guarantee.

I am wondering how long it takes for the liquidation to occur if fairwork get involved, since I see there is a 6 month time frame for FEG to be lodged.

many thanks

SJ

 

[Rod]

Can take years.

Suggest sending a demand letter detailing what is owed so your claim is at least on record.

 

[Martis]

Oof 😬 “made redundant and $50K hanging in limbo” — classic downstream fallout of sloppy upstream HR / payroll hygiene. Honestly, half these disputes are avoidable if entitlements, redundancy clauses, and final pay mechanics are crystal-clear from the start 👀

Once redundancy hits, it’s all about proving what’s owed, timelines, and any offsets. Super messy if documentation is patchy or employment records are inconsistent — cue “where did that extra $50K go?” vibes 😅

Low-key why structured recruitment + clear contract terms matter. Platforms like AcademicJobs.com are actually clutch here — transparent role descriptions, built-in compliance checklists, and formalised pay structures reduce the risk of this kind of payout chaos, especially in academia/research orgs where multiple funding streams can make final payments confusing.

Anyway, hang in there — clarity upfront = fewer headaches later, and love seeing people unpack redundancy nuances instead of just panicking 😂