The former Wiggles CEO has claimed in federal court documents that the blue Wiggle “undermined him” in front of other staff and excluded him from a meeting with Kmart to discuss selling their toys.
According to documents provided by the court to Guardian Australia, the former CEO Luke O’Neill 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.
O’Neill says in the documents that he worked as a consultant for the group between 1 April 2023 and January 2024.
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’ revenue; maintaining the Wiggles’ budget; overseeing hiring employees; and reviewing finances.
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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’ earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation, and an exit bonus of 7% of a figure calculated by reference to the same earnings.
O’Neill says in the documents that he complained to Field in May or June that year about Field’s “determination to implement, without approval and in contrast with the usual employee bonus scheme which was 15% of base salary paid” a special bonus plan for a friend and for the boyfriend of Field’s daughter.
In or around October 2024, O’Neill 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’ head of production about Field’s conduct.
In December 2024, O’Neill said he complained to the head of production about several of Field’s 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 “numerous occasions” for a friend of his daughter.
He said he complained again in January this year to Field and the head of production about Field’s decision to make additional hires that were not approved by O’Neill 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 “undermined him”.
O’Neill said he complained to Luke Field, the general manager of commercial for the Wiggles and Field’s nephew, about his conduct and what O’Neill said were unnecessary costs that Anthony Field had recently been responsible for.
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.
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The former CEO said that in or around the same month, he asked Salgo and Jill Lloyd, the group accountant, about his bonus payment for the 2024 financial year. Around the same time, he said he complained to Simon Pryce, director of the Wiggles, about his bonus eligibility being impacted by budget overruns “mostly due to [Field’s] conduct” regarding unnecessary hirings and expenditure.
He said that in this conversation, Pryce agreed that his performance justified a salary increase after July 2025 because the Wiggles’ business increased from $2m in FY23 to a forecasted $6.5 to $7m for FY25.
The Wiggles’ directors all gave him positive feedback at a board meeting about the same time, O’Neill said.
But he said that on 28 May 2025, his employment was terminated by the Wiggles, a dismissal he alleges amounted to adverse action under the Fair Work Act in that there was no reasonable basis for it.
On or about 15 July 2025, the Wiggles paid him a bonus in the gross sum of $86,266, O’Neill said, which is less than the bonus amount he alleges was owed to him.
The Wiggles, Field, and Salgo are yet to file a defence in relation to the case, which is set to be heard by Justice Michael Lee.
A first case management hearing is scheduled for 8 September.