More than 11,000 workers received $22.3 million in pay recovered by the Fair Work Ombudsman in the past financial year.
Two of the ombudsman's biggest successes over the year included $220,000 recovered from Coles for underpaying trolley collectors and $250,000 recovered for fruit and vegetable pickers.
"Businesses that benefit from the labour of underpaid workers in their supply chain risk legal liability and damage to their reputation," ombudsman Natalie James wrote in her annual report.
The childcare sector, which employs a large number of women aged under 24 and many foreign visa holders, has also been a problem with just under $440,000 recovered over the year for 584 employees.
Underpayment of overseas workers continues to be a problem.
In one case, a chef on a 457 visa received $80,000 owed to him and the restaurant was penalised $100,000 for paying a flat weekly rate despite requiring the chef to work 60 hours.
The federal agency expects to report on its investigations into exploited 7-Eleven staff and 4- and 5-star hotel housekeepers in 2016.
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