Celeste and Connor, two former workers at Monkey Bean Café in Toorak, are still waiting for the pay they were denied back in 2022, despite multiple court rulings in their favour. This is a case that lays bare a systemic issue in Victoria’s hospitality sector.

For years, Monkey Bean relied on the assumption that young workers wouldn’t know their rights or how to enforce them. But that was without counting on the courage and determination of two young workers, and the intervention of the Young Workers Centre, which supported them through a long and exhausting legal fight. 

In December 2024 and January 2025, with the support of the Young Workers Centre, Celeste and Connor each won their respective underpayment claims against Monkey Bean Café. 
Then, in July 2025, a new ruling from the Magistrates’ Court imposed further penalties on the café and its owner, bringing the total amount owed to around $100,000. 

This figure includes years of unpaid wages and superannuation, compensation for breaches of Celeste and Connor’s workplace rights, and penalties for failing to pay penalty rates, overtime, and casual loading. The court held that these weren't administrative errors, but instead, deliberate and systemic underpayment that left two young workers without what they were legally owed for years of work. 

Monkey Bean is withholding the money 

Months after these rulings, Celeste and Connor are still waiting for Monkey Bean to comply with the court’s decisions. The café has ignored the orders and the Young Workers Centre’s repeated attempts to contact its owner. 

“Monkey Bean has refused to engage in any way with the court process. They have not complied with the orders to pay their workers, which means we will soon commence an enforcement process. This is time, money and stress that these young workers shouldn’t have to endure just to receive what they’re legally entitled to.” said Paloma Cole, the Young Workers Centre’s Principal Solicitor. 

A systemic issue in hospitality 

This case is far from isolated. One in three young hospitality workers earns $15 an hour or less, around $10 below the national minimum wage of $24.95, according to a recent University of Melbourne study. 
The same research found that 38% of workers are underpaid, 36% are denied breaks, and 24% don’t receive superannuation. 

Young people are particularly vulnerable: often unaware of their rights, without a safety net, and dependent on their income, many are too afraid to speak up. 
As a result, some employers continue to exploit this imbalance of power for profit. 

“How much wealth is being built in this country through the exploitation of young workers, especially young hospitality workers?” asked Paloma. 

Why this case matters?

This case of wage theft predates the new federal wage theft laws and shows exactly why they’re needed. But laws alone aren’t enough: without proper enforcement and more resources for unions and community legal centres, wage theft will continue. 

While Celeste and Connor were lucky to access support through the Young Workers Centre, many others can’t get the help they need. Until unions and specialist employment community legal centres like the Young Workers Centre are properly funded, these injustices will persist. 

“Workers in unions have the collective resources, knowledge and power to force bosses to comply with the law. We encourage all young workers to join their union and be part of our collective defence against bad bosses,” Paloma, Principal Solicitor of the Young Workers Centre