Clay Lucas
Clay Lucas is workplace editor for The Age. Clay has worked at The Age since 2005, covering state politics, urban affairs, transport and local government for The Age and Sunday Age. Clay won a Quill with Age investigative reporter Royce Millar in 2009.
Diners 'unwittingly fund hospitality underclass'
Clay Lucas and Sarah Whyte Behind the surface glamour of Melbourne's restaurant scene lies an army of casual staff being paid wages far below their legal entitlements, industry experts and regulators say.
Where there's smirk there's fired
Clay Lucas Fortunato Perri was, according to his ex-employer, a good concreter. But after 15 years with Anglo Italian Concrete, it was a smile at the wrong time that cost him his job. Or was it a smirk?
Only half are happy in their line of work
Clay Lucas Only half of Australia's 11.5 million employees believe they are in the right line of work, new research shows.
Sham contracts leave builders short-changed
Clay Lucas Up to 50,000 Australian builders could be missing out on the holidays, sick leave and superannuation they are entitled to.
Work hours plan goes too far: business
Clay Lucas Managers would be forced to consider requests from employees for family-friendly working hours under a plan to be put forward by the ACTU.
Retailers in push to cut Sunday pay
Clay Lucas Retailers will push for their staff's hourly pay to be cut by as much as $8 an hour on Sundays.
Boost for redundancy scheme
Clay Lucas Cost of scheme that pays workers their entitlements when companies go broke is set to soar.
Migrant work abuse 'rampant'
Clay Lucas Migrant workers are regularly being taken advantage of, intimidated and abused in Australian workplaces because they do not know their rights.
Staff at food plant allege years of extreme bullying
Clay Lucas Employees of inner-city gourmet food manufacturer speak out about alleged mistreatment.
Manufacturing not dead yet
Clay Lucas New figures show jump in the number of Australians making products - and Victoria leads the way.
Mehigan caught in chef's pay row
Clay Lucas A restaurant jointly run by MasterChef judge and co-host Gary Mehigan paid back one of its chefs after it admitted to short-changing him thousands of dollars.
Fast-food giants trying to avoid weekend penalties
Clay Lucas Australia's fast-food chains are trying to wriggle out of changes to national wage laws that will soon force them to pay employees penalty rates on weekends.
Directors 'must be forced to pay'
Ben Butler and Clay Lucas Senior union leader says the government should be able to go after the personal assets of company directors who do not keep aside enough money to pay employee entitlements.
Casual workers forced to wear barcodes
Clay Lucas Workers at Melbourne warehouse required to wear - and pay for - ID armbands.
Thresholds lock out older workers
Clay Lucas Report on age discrimination says thresholds should be dismantled as population ages.
Employers renew demand for cuts in penalty rates
Clay Lucas Employers renew their push to cut penalty rates for workers in the hospitality and retail sectors.
$17 pay rise for country's lowest paid
Clay Lucas The national minimum wage for Australia's 1.4 million lowest paid workers should be raised by $17.10 a week, Fair Work Australia has said.
Sacked worker too short and too young
Clay Lucas Personal assistant dismissed via email by real estate agent worried about her 'overall young look'.
Premier steps in to redevelopment stoush
Clay Lucas Ted Baillieu's office becomes involved in dispute over redevelopment by state authority.
Big-box shops to get smaller, wider
Clay Lucas Planners warn strip shopping centres will be badly hurt by state government decision.
