An insider says it would be even higher if all the stores' rosters had been cross-checked against CCTV footage. Illustration: Matt Golding. The database also shows head office has been reviewing and finding wage fraud at its stores for at least the last 12 months. Head Office Responds 7-Eleven Australia was forced to respond to the allegations over the weekend, saying it was "extremely disappointed that a number of franchisees have chosen not to meet their obligations as employers".

On Saturday night, the Dallas-based chief operating arm of the convenience store chain, 7-Eleven Inc, was also forced to respond to a series of tweets. "We are confident 7-Eleven Australia will take the appropriate steps to address this situation," the tweet read. The database clearly demonstrates that 7-Eleven's Australian head office is aware of the problem.

In a store in Melbourne's outer east a field inspector from head office wrote on August 7: "… you are required by law to abide by the award and pay all staff for hours worked in the store. You are also required to maintain payroll administration that is true and accurate. … I have reviewed last week's roster and compared it to actual CCTV footage. In reviewing the CCTV footage I have identified behaviour which is fraudulent and must cease immediately."



Serious allegations about wage fraud are echoed in the extracts of store reviews conducted in Sydney and Brisbane.



One Sydney franchisee based on the central coast shows little intention of abiding by the law, according to the field inspector's review.



"All payroll must be in compliance with the law. [Franchisee] claims this would have an adverse impact on the profitability of the business and that as all of his paperwork is 'in order' only the CCTV footage can disprove his paperwork and as it 'only lasts for a month', that's a risk he will take."



Another review from a store in Sydney's outer west sums up the situation simply: "The rosters/time sheets do not match what is going on in store."



A franchisee in Melbourne's west was advised that his payroll records "must be accurate and true at all times" and "in order to reduce … possible penalties if investigated by Fair Work, it is advisable to call [external employee relations firm] ER Strategies and discuss solutions to remedy this situation."



The findings from other 7-Eleven stores are equally damning. "All … current employees are being paid below the award rate," according to another. Mistakes Handled Internally Meanwhile, a franchisee told the 7-Eleven field investigator that some staff members hadn't been paid for six weeks because they "don't care if they haven't been paid correctly as money isn't important to them". The Melbourne-based franchisee was caught paying $12 an hour to staff – well below the award rate of $24 an hour – and was withholding the passport and driver's licence of a staff member. Falsifying time sheets and rosters is illegal and considered fraud. 7-Eleven review of Melbourne franchise