Queensland employers who underpay workers will face 14 years in prison under proposed laws to be introduced to Parliament next month.

Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace said amendments to the Criminal Code would be introduced after a 2018 inquiry discovered almost one in four Queensland workers were not being paid what they were entitled to.

Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace says wage theft is taking about $1.2 billion out of workers’ pockets annually, and more than $1 billion from their superannuation. Credit:AAP/Dan Peled

"The Criminal Code, as it currently stands, comes down very hard on workers caught with their hand in the till," Ms Grace said. "But there’s no offence for unscrupulous bosses who intentionally steal from their employees or defraud them."

Wage theft can include short-changing staff, not paying superannuation, and withholding leave entitlements.