A Qantas employee who moonlighted as a supermarket warehouse storeman, while pocketing more than $120,000 in workers' compensation, must do 220 hours unpaid community work and repay the money.

Sunshine Magistrate’s Court heard last week that Andy Tiet, 49, had slipped on stairs and injured his back in August 2018 while employed as an airline service operator.

His compensation claim was accepted by self-insured employer Qantas and he received weekly payments.

Three years later, in June 2021, Qantas organised surveillance of Tiet. It showed him attending a supermarket warehouse in Laverton for “extended periods.”

Qantas referred the issue to WorkSafe, and an investigation revealed that from August 2018 to July 2021, Tiet obtained $119,457 in compensation payments and $4,865 in superannuation from Qantas.

At the time he was secretly working as a storeman and earning a gross income of almost $200,000.

He did not report any injuries or physical restrictions to his warehouse employer and continued to sign certificates of capacity declaring he was not working.

Tiet pleaded guilty last week to one rolled-up charge of obtaining financial advantage by deception and two rolled-up charges of fraudulently obtaining payments.

He must complete the Community Corrections Order over two years, requiring him to perform 220 hours of unpaid community work.  He also must pay back $124,322 he received in compensation and superannuation from Qantas.

WorkSafe Executive Director Insurance Roger Arnold says all compensation fraud, including against self-insurers, was a criminal act under the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act.

"It's one of the most callous things someone can do: manipulate a system designed to help vulnerable injured workers and their families.

"WorkSafe can and will take action against anyone who makes fraudulent claims, be it against WorkCover or a self-insurer."