Childcare executives paid six-figure bonuses despite outrage over alleged abuse and safety failures

Bosses at Australia’s largest for-profit childcare providers received pay rises and bonuses worth up to $500,000 last year, despite multiple safety breaches and the employment of a man subsequently charged with multiple child sexual offences.

The generous salaries have sparked calls for boards to consider clawing back some of money, given outrage over safety failures and recent apologies from chief executives.

The G8 Education chief executive, Pejman Okhovat, secured a short-term bonus worth $534,426 for meeting performance targets last year. His base salary was increased from $930,770 to $956,468 last year.

G8 Education provides annual bonuses to executives who meet performance targets related to financial performance, enrolment levels, staff retention, and safety and compliance.In 202