August 26, 2026 — 7:00pm
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One of Australia’s most prestigious sporting clubs has systematically underpaid its kitchen staff over five years, with the matter now being investigated by the Fair Work Ombudsman amid a fresh exodus of key leaders at the troubled private club.
The exclusive Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club has informed its members that the underpayment relates to 26 staff and their overtime penalty entitlements between 2018 and 2023.
Kooyong underpaid its kitchen staff over a period of five years.Getty Images
Two key leaders have recently resigned from the club – non-executive director Sam Ejtemai and the club’s head of food and beverage Chris Manti – both of whom had been in their respective roles since December last year.
A spokesman for Kooyong confirmed that the historical staff underpayments had been voluntarily reported by the club to the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) following an internal review of payroll practices.
“The review, initiated by management and the board, identified issues relating to the interpretation of overtime penalty entitlements for 26 kitchen staff in the period prior to 2024,” he said.
“Subsequently, the club engaged an independent external payroll specialist to undertake a detailed audit. An external auditor also reviewed the audit methodology to provide further assurance over the process.
“The club continues to cooperate fully with the FWO, keeping them updated on the progress of its review, including the process and timing for addressing any outstanding employee entitlements.”
Ejtemai was contacted concerning his resignation after just nine months on the board but declined to comment. Manti could not be reached by deadline.
The revelations are the latest upheavals at the esteemed club, which in the 2025 financial year recorded a bottom-line loss of almost $1 million.
In 2023, the club was forced to call in independent auditors Grant Thornton to investigate a $2.4 million loss from its food and beverage operations. The audit found poor financial management and reporting were to blame for the substantial losses from its dining arm.
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Several sources who declined to be named to protect their membership status said the decision by the Kooyong board in December last year to withdraw from exclusive talks to buy the nearby Vision Australia site for more than $50 million as part of the club’s broader Centenary Masterplan had created disquiet among the broader membership.
The Age revealed earlier this month that Scotch College was now in talks to buy the Vision Australia head office for about $60 million.
Kooyong is one of Australia’s most exclusive tennis clubs and is often described as the “spiritual home of tennis”. For 15 years until 1988 it was the home of the Australian Open, before the Grand Slam tournament moved to the newly developed Melbourne Park.
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On Wednesday, The Age revealed that the $20 million-a-year operation, which is chaired by former Tennis Australia boss Steve Wood, had just commenced the search for a new chief executive. This followed the exit of well-regarded sports administrator Ian Robson – a former boss of the Essendon Football Club – from the club in May this year after just 17 months at the helm.
According to Kooyong’s 2025 annual report, which is not publicly available, to gain membership to the club applicants must pay a one-off entry fee of $5880, plus an annual fee of $1960. At the end of July last year there were about 8650 members, with about 950 on the waiting list.
In the report, the club noted the possibility of wage underpayment claims as a “contingent liability”. “The consolidated entity has engaged consultants to review possible overtime penalty claims from kitchen team members for additional hours worked in excess of 38 hours per week over a period ranging from 2018 to 2023,” the note said. “The process is not yet finalised and the potential liability is unable to be accurately quantified.”
In an update to members on July 30 this year – the day before the club closed its books for the 2026 financial year – the club revealed the matter was now in the hands of the FWO.
“Yesterday, the club voluntarily reported potential historical staff underpayments relating to the interpretation of overtime penalty entitlements for 26 kitchen staff to the FWO,” the club update read. “It relates to historical payroll and timekeeping arrangements.
“The affected employees have been notified, with the club holding sufficient funds to meet anticipated employee payments.”
The club spokesman said Kooyong had also “strengthened its payroll systems and controls, including the appointment of a people and culture manager and the implementation of an automated HR and payroll system designed to calculate pay rates, penalty rates and allowances in accordance with the relevant award”.
The FWO declined to comment. “We have no comment on the organisation named. We encourage any workers with concerns to contact us directly for assistance.”
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