Man ordered to pay £67k after stealing employee's parental leave money

A man has been forced to pay £67,000 after attempting to steal his employee’s government-funded parental leave pay.

SBS News reports that Kulpreet Singh, from Marrangaroo in Australia, was the Manager of a United Petroleum roadhouse (service station).

He employed a 29-year-old woman, who gave birth to a child in April 2015. However, when the government deposited $11,538 (£6,506) to the company for it to then be transferred to her, Singh faked documentation which purported to show he had paid the amount in full to the woman’s husband and pocketed the cash.

He did eventually pay his employee the money she was entitled to, but five months after it had been due. The judge in the case, Nick Nicholls, said Singh’s reasons for failing to make the payment were “absurd”.