B&TB&TB&T
  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Technology
  • Regulars
    • Agency Scorecards
    • Best of the Best
    • Campaigns of the Month
    • CMO Power List
    • CMOs to Watch
    • Culture Bites
    • Fast 10
    • New Business Winners
    • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Jobs
  • Awards
    • 30 Under 30
    • B&T Awards
    • Cairns Crocodiles
    • Women In Media
    • Women Leading Tech
Search
Trending topics:
  • Cairns Crocodiles
  • Nine
  • Seven
  • Cannes Lions
  • NRL
  • State of Origin
  • WPP
  • B&T Women in Media
  • Thinkerbell
  • Pinterest
  • AFL
  • imaa
  • Anthony Albanese
  • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • AI
  • Foxtel
  • Meta
  • TV Ratings
  • Radio Ratings
  • Sports Marketing

  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.
Reading: Marketing Giant Appco Facing $85M Class Action From Young Employees
Share
B&TB&T
Subscribe
Search
  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Technology
  • Regulars
    • Agency Scorecards
    • Best of the Best
    • Campaigns of the Month
    • CMO Power List
    • CMOs to Watch
    • Culture Bites
    • Fast 10
    • New Business Winners
    • Spotlight on Sponsors
  • Jobs
  • Awards
    • 30 Under 30
    • B&T Awards
    • Cairns Crocodiles
    • Women In Media
    • Women Leading Tech
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.
B&T > Marketing > Marketing Giant Appco Facing $85M Class Action From Young Employees
Marketing

Marketing Giant Appco Facing $85M Class Action From Young Employees

Staff Writers
Published on: 24th October 2016 at 11:48 AM
Staff Writers
Share
2 Min Read
SHARE

Marketing giant Appco Group Australia is facing a big court battle after the ABC News revealed that thousands of its young employees are expected to join an $85 million class action over alleged bullying and underpayment.

Appco Group Australia claims to be part of the world’s largest direct sales and marketing group, as well as “the recognised industry leader in Australia”, with its major clients including CanTeen, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, the Australian Paralympic Committee, Hello Fresh, Alinta Energy and Surf Life Saving Australia.

According to ABC News, lawyers for the Appco employees will allege the group engaged in sham contracting to underpay its young workers ($6 per hour or one third of the minimum wage, on average) and forced them to work 80-hour weeks collecting donations and selling merchandise at shopping centres, malls and other public places.

The lawyers will also allege employees were subjected to repeated bullying and shaming when they questioned their workplace rights, which included strange humiliation rituals when they were late for meetings or failed to meet daily sales targets.

ABC News said these rituals included the employees being forced to dance around in chicken suits, roll around on their backs while colleagues chanted “salmon” and crawl on the floor in what was known as “the slug race”.

Former employees will also allege that they were forced to share single motel rooms in up to groups of eight on road trips.

Appco said in a statement that it was not involved in sham contracting and would not tolerate the practice, according to ABC News.

Join more than 30,000 advertising industry experts
Get all the latest advertising and media news direct to your inbox from B&T.

No related posts.

Share
Staff Writers
By Staff Writers
Follow:
Staff Writers represent B&T's team of award-winning reporters. Here, you'll find articles crafted with industry experience spanning over 50 years. Our team of specialists brings together a wealth of knowledge and a commitment to delivering insightful, topical, and breaking news. With a deep understanding of advertising and media, our Staff Writers are dedicated to providing industry-leading analysis and reporting, both shaping the conversation and setting the benchmark for excellence.

Latest News

TV Ratings (13/07/2025): All Eyes On Japan As Travel Guides Welcome New Addition
14/07/2025
Former News Corp Execs Dale Foenander & Matt Paine Launch Lamington Digital
14/07/2025
Woolies Appoints Interim CMO As Andrew Hicks Makes The Move To M&S In The UK
14/07/2025
James Zipeure.
Mortar AI Appoints James Zipeure From CEO To Group CEO
14/07/2025
//

B&T is Australia’s leading news publication magazine for the advertising, marketing, media and PR industries.

 

B&T is owned by parent company The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd.

About B&T

  • About
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Advertise

Top Categories

  • Advertising
  • Campaigns
  • Marketing
  • Media
  • Opinion
  • Technology
  • TV Ratings

Sign Up for Our Newsletter



B&TB&T
Follow US
© 2025 B&T. The Misfits Media Company Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Register Lost your password?