Workers at stores MillionLife and Mint My Desk have accused the company of underpaying staff, not paying superannuation and not providing pay slips.

In a statement published to social media and the Mint My Desk (MMD) website, the company said it was taking its legal obligations to its employees seriously, and would look to rectify and issues.

Staff from stores around Brisbane walked off the job on Saturday morning, demanding to be paid under the general retail award, back pay and pay slips to be provided. 

Mint My Desk, a stationery company, has 18 stores nationally, while MillionLife, an arcade style company, has 31 stores with plans to expand to 300 stores in the next three years. 

Spokesperson for the Mint My Desk Workers United, Louisa McCarthy, who works for Mint My Desk at Uptown (formerly Myer Centre) said most staff were paid cash in hand.

“Of note most people don’t get pay slips, the minimum wage is not met, penalty rates aren’t paid, super isn’t paid,” she said. 

Ms McCarthy said there had been multiple attempts from staff members to bring up these issues to the company bosses which she said were usually dismissed or staff were told they will be fixed in coming months. 

Text messages raising these issues have been seen by the ABC. The issues have also been raised with the Fair Work Ombudsman. 

She said the company owners would use excuses such as being a “new business” or “too understaffed” to address the issues. 

Some staff say they are paid as low as $18 an hour — the minimum retail award wage is $24.73 for a full time or part time employed adult. However Ms McCarthy said most staff are employed on a casual basis, entitling them to a 25 per cent loading according to the General Retail Industry Award. 

She said the final straw for her was seeing one of the company owners purchase a luxury vehicle while saying she could not afford to pay minimum wage. 

Garden City MillionLife employee Holly Booth, who also runs the MillionLife TikTok page, told the ABC she was not aware she was being underpaid until weeks before the stop action was organised.

She said, like herself, a number of the staff at the stores were young girls and university students working their first jobs who may not be aware of their employee rights.

She said despite the pay issues, quitting was not an option.

“It’s a situation where we’re living in a cost of living crisis where it’s becoming harder and harder to get a job and so,” they said. 

“I know I’ve stayed as well because I genuinely love company and I want to work in like the film industry, so being able to make the TikToks has been good for that.”

A video shared on their personal account accumulated more than 230,000 views — since then Ms Booth says former and current staff at both brands have reached out stating similar issues. 

Mint My Desk shared the following statement to Instagram and their website before removing it from social media a couple of hours later.

“It is in that context that MMD notes that one or more of its employees have raised concerns about alleged employment practices,” the statement said. 

“MMD appreciates that concerns have been raised, and they continue to be urgently considered.

“MMD notes however that any concerns raised by these employees should be done in a respectful and courteous manner.

“MMD is committed to trying to work through any live issues collaboratively with the employees, and trust that the employees will do the same when communicating with MMD or about MMD publicly.

“If there have been any mistakes made, then they will be urgently rectified. MMD has approached and will continue to discuss the issue with its employees and seek to resolve them.”

Mint My Desk has also offered a number of employees contracts — which have been seen by the ABC — the afternoon after they held industrial action. 

Both Ms Booth and Ms McCarthy said they don’t agree with the contracts and said it does not meet their demands. 

Mint My Desk and MillionLife have been contacted for further comment.