The Country Road Group owns the Country Road, Mimco, Trenery, Politix and Witchery brands. Woolworths Holdings sold the upmarket department store David Jones last year to free up the ground to invest in growing its fashion brands in Australia and South Africa.

Before that sale, David Jones and Politix signed enforceable undertakings with the Fair Work Ombudsman to backpay more than 7000 employees within two months after reporting the underpayments in 2020.

The retailers agreed to pay more than $750,000 in interest and contrition payments after admitting to underpaying thousands of employees $4 million. Workers were underpaid minimum wages, evening, weekend, overtime and public holiday penalty rates.

Nine Entertainment, owner of this masthead, on Monday also announced an independent review of its newsroom culture as staff anger escalated over the company’s handling of a sexual harassment complaint against former television news boss Darren Wick, as well as the anonymous complaints of other women made through the media.

Nine chief executive Mike Sneesby addressed staff on Monday afternoon and sent an all-staff email which acknowledged the serious allegations against Wick. He said the review would be handled by an external firm.

Sneesby also said the “alleged serious failings of leadership in television news clearly tells me more work needs to be done to ensure we have a safe and inclusive workplace throughout Nine”.

The Market Recap newsletter is a wrap of the day’s trading. Get it each weekday afternoon.