When you're pouring beers and dealing with drunk customers at 3am on a Sunday, it's the penalty rates that make it worth your while.

So when bartender Claire Nelson was told by her bosses at Fitzroy's Provincial Hotel she would no longer be paid extra for weekend work, the 25-year-old knew she was being ripped off.

Casual workers at The Provincial Hotel in Fitzroy lost thousands of dollars after being forced off the hospitality award. Credit:Darrian Traynor

The native New Yorker had been working at the pub for six months, earning $23 an hour as a casual employee on the award. On weekends, she would earn up to $32 an hour with penalty rates.

Then in mid 2015, staff were told a payroll company was their new employer, and they would need to sign forms consenting to a new workplace agreement.