Jovanka Ucukalo, Director
Only when Jo marched up to the payroll office and whipped out her calculator in front of the five payroll officers of her workplace, did they begin to take her seriously. The emails she'd sent outlining how they'd underpaid her had gone unanswered. Standing there in front of the payroll officers, sprouting off entitlements, percentages and figures, Jo, a civil engineer and business analyst, found she met less resistance. Eventually, the payroll team admitted their errors and adjusted her pay accordingly.
A few weeks later, she was back in the payroll office to dispute another underpayment. "I began thinking that if they'd made this many errors in my pay, how many errors were they making in the pays of their 5000 employees." But it was Jo's next thought that lit her ambition to create the Paycheck Investigators business. "When I asked myself how many of those 5000 employees shared my keen understanding of our entitlements and my determination to be paid every cent I was entitled to, I realized that the answer was zero. That's when I knew I needed to create Paycheck Investigators to go in on employees' behalf and set matters straight."
Jo is absolutely thrilled to have established Paycheck Investigators. "I believe people work to get paid so that they can then use that money to enjoy their lives. I love knowing that we ensure people receive all that they have worked for, and as a result improve their standard of living."
Pete Paulos, Debt Recovery Specialist
Pete reckons that employers who knowingly rip off their employees are bullies. Pete doesn't rate bullies, but he does enjoy convincing them to pay up.
And he's good at it. His most successful wage dispute involved the Ansett Airline collapse in 2001. Pete, then a branch organiser with the Transport Workers Union and representing 2000 members, assisted in securing 90- 95% of entitlements for Ansett workers.
"Being underpaid is similar to being stolen from," says Pete. "But it has more impact emotionally. When you've been ripped off, you feel belittled by people you placed your trust in."
This is why Pete is so passionate about striking pay-up deals with employers who try to wriggle out of paying an employee's full entitlements. His secret? "It comes down to the personality of the employer most times," says Pete. "I always know I need to find a way to make an employer identify with the situation...how unfair it is...and then pay up. I'm an excellent spokesperson for employees who aren't getting a fair deal but don't feel confident to tackle their employer themselves."
When he's not finding your missing dollars? Pete enjoys reading, history, kayaking, fitness training, playing guitar and writing songs.
Rebecka Delforce, Marketing Manager
Rebecka, an ex-magazine editor, carries just two stipulations for involving herself in a business as a marketer. "I only sign up with projects that are innovative (I'm allergic to seen-it-before) and that contribute to society's wellbeing (otherwise, what's the point?)".
Lucky then that the Paycheck Investigators' business plan met the criteria! "The concept of Paycheck Investigators - an organisation of entitlement specialists that deal with your employer about your pay on your behalf - is absolutely brilliant," says Rebecka. "Especially at a time when everyday Aussies are being asked to go into battle, alone and unprepared to negotiate entitlements, with their money-management-savvy bosses. Who wouldn't sign up with Paycheck Investigators? It's a very cheap way to ensure you get maximum pay from your employer without any confrontation whatsoever, it's totally win-win!"
