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The former Wiggles CEO has claimed in federal court documents that the blue Wiggle \u201cundermined him\u201d in front of other staff and excluded him from a meeting with Kmart to discuss selling their toys.<\/p>\n
According to documents provided by the court to Guardian Australia, the former CEO Luke O\u2019Neill is suing Wiggles Holdings Pty Ltd, blue Wiggle Anthony Field and general counsel Matthew Salgo for not being paid a bonus relating to his work and for multiple alleged breaches of the Fair Work Act.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Neill says in the documents that he worked as a consultant for the group between 1 April 2023 and January 2024.<\/p>\n
He started as CEO on 8 January 2024 and says that in a written contract dated 5 March 2024 the key components of the position included developing and implementing short and long-term strategies and projects to grow the Wiggles\u2019 revenue; maintaining the Wiggles\u2019 budget; overseeing hiring employees; and reviewing finances.<\/p>\n
Sign up: AU Breaking News email<\/sub><\/a><\/p>\n It was expected he would work in the business up to the completion of a sale and was expected to be paid an annual bonus of 5% of a figure calculated by reference to the Wiggles\u2019 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation, and an exit bonus of 7% of a figure calculated by reference to the same earnings.<\/p>\n O\u2019Neill says in the documents that he complained to Field in May or June that year about Field\u2019s \u201cdetermination to implement, without approval and in contrast with the usual employee bonus scheme which was 15% of base salary paid\u201d a special bonus plan for a friend and for the boyfriend of Field\u2019s daughter.<\/p>\n In or around October 2024, O\u2019Neill said he also complained to Field about the unnecessary costs of hiring someone for shows in Canberra, and two months later he says he complained to the Wiggles\u2019 head of production about Field\u2019s conduct.<\/p>\n In December 2024, O\u2019Neill said he complained to the head of production about several of Field\u2019s decisions, which he said increased costs on the Tree of Wisdom production. He claimed these decisions included Field hiring a nephew to work on the show, hiring a director from New Zealand and approving costs for air travel on \u201cnumerous occasions\u201d for a friend of his daughter.<\/p>\n He said he complained again in January this year to Field and the head of production about Field\u2019s decision to make additional hires that were not approved by O\u2019Neill or the Wiggles company. He said that on or about 18 February this year, Field questioned his competence in a meeting in front of about 13 staff and \u201cundermined him\u201d.<\/p>\n O\u2019Neill said he complained to Luke Field, the general manager of commercial for the Wiggles and Field\u2019s nephew, about his conduct and what O\u2019Neill said were unnecessary costs that Anthony Field had recently been responsible for.<\/p>\n He said that in or around April of this year Anthony Field excluded him from a meeting with Kmart regarding the sale of Wiggles-branded toys.<\/p>\n