Getting Paid: Your Rights on Payday

Know your award

Awards set out minimum rates of pay and entitlements for whole industries and/or occupations. When you get a job, make sure to check which award covers your industry and what it entails. Even if your job is not covered by an award, you are still protected by the National Employment Standards.

As a young employee, you might get a lower pay rate because of your age. People under 21 years old can be paid junior pay rates – a percentage of the full rate that increases as you get older.

Enterprise agreements

Some workplaces have enterprise agreements (also called Enterprise Bargaining Agreements). These are deals made between employers and employees and their union about terms and conditions of employment, including pay rates, penalty rates, hours of work, and dispute resolution.

Enterprise agreements are tailored to suit specific workplaces and must offer better conditions than the relevant award. Once an agreement is in place, it replaces the award, but employees must always be “better off overall” than they would have been under the award.

Unionised workplaces usually have better wages and conditions because employees working together with union support have more bargaining strength. All enterprise agreements must be registered and approved by the Fair Work Commission before they come into effect.

Understanding your payslip

Your payslip is proof you’re getting paid properly – and it’s your legal right to get one. Here’s what you need to know:

When should you get it?

Your employer must give you a payslip within one working day of getting paid, even if you’re on leave. It can be electronic (via email or payroll app) or a printed copy – both are equally valid. If you’re not getting payslips on time, that’s a red flag.

Why checking your payslip matters. It might seem tedious, but double-checking your payslip – especially when you start a new job – can save you from being ripped off.

Look out for:

• Are your hours correct?
• Is your pay rate what you agreed to?
• Did you get the right penalty rates for weekend/night/public holiday shifts?
• Are your super contributions showing up?
• Do any deductions look wrong or unfamiliar?

Sometimes mistakes are honest errors, but wage theft is real and more common than you’d think. Employers have been caught producing false payslips, making dodgy deductions, or just not paying the correct rates. Don’t assume everything’s fine – check every payslip.

What if something’s wrong? If you spot an error or something doesn’t add up:

• First, talk to your employer – it might just be a mistake
• If that doesn’t fix it, or if you’re uncomfortable raising it, contact your union. Unions are experts at spotting wage theft and can help you recover what you’re owed

Your rights for payslips

• Your payslip is private and confidential. Your employer can’t share it without your permission (except with Fair Work Inspectors or union officials when necessary)
• Employers must keep accurate employment records for at least seven years
• It’s illegal for employers to give you false or misleading payslips – they can face serious fines or even criminal charges
• If your employer refuses to give you a payslip or doesn’t provide one within 7 days of you asking, you can make a complaint

Understanding tax

Your employer will withhold some of your pay as income tax – this is called Pay As You Go (PAYG) Withholding.

Then at the end of the financial year, you can access your income statement through myGov, so that you can complete a tax return for the Australian Tax Office.

The tax-free threshold for 2025-26 is $18,200. If the amount you earned is under the tax-free threshold, you’ll be refunded everything that was withheld.

Understanding superannuation

Superannuation (“super”) is money that your employer pays directly into a fund for you to access when you retire.

The amount they must pay is 12% of your ordinary time earnings (your base rate).

If you’re 18 years old, your employer is required to pay your super. If you’re under 18, your employer must pay super if you work more than 30 hours in a week.

Important: From 1 July 2026, employers will need to pay your superannuation at the same time as your wages under the new “payday super” rules. This means you’ll see your super contributions appear in your account much faster than before, rather than waiting up to three months.

Getting paid in cash?

Getting paid in cash for your hard day’s work can seem like magic.

Although there’s nothing necessarily wrong with paying in cash, some businesses might use cash payments so that they can avoid paying tax, superannuation and other entitlements to their workers. This is unlawful and means you could miss out on:

• Proper pay rates according to your award
• Superannuation for your retirement
• Workers’ compensation if you get injured
• Leave entitlements (sick leave, annual leave)
• Protection under workplace laws

If you’re being paid cash without proper records, you’re not being paid legally. You have the right to receive payslips and have your employer meet their legal obligations.

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