Kory Oxley used the wages of workers on the level crossing removal project in Melbourne's southeast to buy himself a caravan and boat.

The Lendlease foreman, on $185,000 a year, repeatedly paid tradies for days they never worked over 10 months in 2018.

In return for what he called "cheese days", Oxley demanded the workers hand over up to half of each leave day's pay.

"You're either gonna be part of the ship or you're gonna be thrown off," Oxley told them.

The 37-year-old was jailed by County Court Judge Kevin Doyle on Thursday for nine months, after pleading guilty to obtaining a financial advantage by deception.

He must complete a 15-month community correction order after getting out of jail.

"You were managing these workers and you had power over them. And you roped them into your criminal conduct," Judge Doyle said.

"Some of those people were reluctant to become involved and were effectively bullied into participating."

Oxley rorted $90,328. He spent $24,000 on a caravan and $11,500 on a boat.

He also admitted paying 25 skyrail workers a combined $71,715 to do work on the private property of his own supervisor, Steven Winter, over two days in August.

Winter was earlier ordered to perform 200 hours of unpaid work for his role in the rort.

Another man also convicted over the scam, Hayden Tarawa, was handed a six-month jail term and two-year community correction order. A fourth, Perry Diaz, was fined $2000.

Australian Associated Press