The Global Work & Travel Co. is an Australian travel company. Founded in 2008, the company provides working holiday, teaching abroad, and volunteer packages and helps travellers with travel insurance, flights, and travel visas. With three offices in Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Vancouver, and London, it operates primarily in five countries: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
A joint investigation by CBC News and Australian Broadcasting Corporation found several dozen complaints from Global Work & Travel customers who could not find employment through the company's programs. The Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General's Office of Fair Trading (OFT) conducted a 13-month probe that led to a $25,655 settlement to pay back 29 customers, while Queensland's Office of Industrial Relations (OIR) levied a $9,000 fine and reached a separate $4,585 settlement to pay back two customers.
Video The Global Work & Travel Co.
History
The Global Work & Travel Co. was founded in 2008 by Pierre Himmelmann and his son Jürgen Himmelmann. It is owned by Jürgen and his parents Pierre Caryl Himmelmann. Based in Surfers Paradise, Queensland, it has offices in three cities: Surfers Paradise, Vancouver, and London.
Global Work & Travel offers working holiday and volunteer packages targeted to people between the ages of 18 and 30. It helps travellers with flights, travel visas, and travel insurance. It provides services primarily in five countries: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Trips range from two weeks to one year. In 2015, it had 100 employees and served 10,000 passengers every year.
Maps The Global Work & Travel Co.
Criticism and controversy
In November 2014, the company was investigated jointly by CBC News and Australian Broadcasting Corporation, which found several dozen accusations from consumers who traveled internationally and were unable to find employment. The travellers said Global Work & Travel employed high stress sales techniques, bogus pledges about jobs, and massive markups. In February 2015, members of the Queensland Department of Justice and Attorney-General's Office of Fair Trading (OFT) descended upon the company's Surfers Paradise Headquarters to retrieve records. They then sent the case to their Major Investigations Unit. Global Work & Travel reached a settlement with OFT after OFT's 13-month probe. The company assented to refunding $25,655 to 29 customers. Steve L'Barrow OFT's director of tactical compliance, said, "I would describe the conduct of this company as unethical and indifferent. They really didn't care about what financial position they were putting the kids in and they didn't care that their conduct was unfair."
In February 2015, the Federal Circuit Court of Australia fined Global Work & Travel and its owners $138,000 for not paying $25,250 to six workers they had misclassified as independent contractors. Global Work & Travel also was investigated by the Queensland's Office of Industrial Relations (OIR). OIR levied a $9,000 fine on the company in February 2016 for violating the Private Employment Agents Act 2005 six times. Global Work & Travel settled with OIR in March 2016 to have all charges resolved after paying $4,585 to two travellers who had sought work through the company.
References
External links
- Official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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