Burger franchise, Hungry Jack’s, has been fined $100,500 after underpaying almost 700 of its Tasmanian employees hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Federal Magistrate Philip Burchardt imposed the penalty on 13 April after Hungry Jack’s admitted underpaying 693 staff members a total of $665,695 between March 2006 and August 2008.

Hungry Jack’s also admitted further breaching workplace laws by failing to keep proper employment records.

In his judgment, Federal Magistrate Burchardt described the conduct of Hungry Jack’s as “contravention on a major scale”, saying the total underpayment was “enormous”.

“More than 30 employees were underpaid more than $4000 each and the highest individual underpayment was over $10,000,” he said.

“These underpayments have all been rectified but the fact is that the relevant employees were denied the sums that they were lawfully due at the time they were actually working.”

The underpaid employees worked at six Hungry Jack’s owned and operated stores in Devonport, Glenorchy, Hobart, South Hobart, Launceston and Mowbray.