A friendly reminder to check your payslips

As we ring in a new financial year, we welcome a very well-deserved pay increase for minimum wage workers. As of 1 July, those on minimum wage should expect a 5.2 per cent pay rise while those on awards will receive either a 4.2 per cent increase or an extra $40 per week (whichever of the two is highest).  

Also coming into effect on 1 July  is the removal of the $450 threshold for super contributions. Are you starting to receive super for the first time? It’s important you make the right choice for you about which super fund your employer starts contributing to. Here’s a good place to start your research. 

Australian union members fought long and hard for these much-needed changes that Australian workers have truly earned! 

While we’re certainly celebrating this achievement, we know that bosses don’t always do the right thing and your union is always here to hold them to account. We’ve seen many instances of employers engaging in wage theft – whether it be producing false payslips, no payslips or sneakily making inadequate super contributions.  

Even if your employer is not intentionally deceptive, ignorance is no excuse. Any of this behaviour is illegal and gives employees grounds for recovery.  

Many employers routinely use smoke and mirrors tactics to cover up wage theft. The first time I experienced this first-hand was months into my last retail job.  

I became aware that my employer hadn’t been paying any of the super contributions they said they were. It wasn’t until my co-worker raised this with the rest of us that we became aware.  

I’d only been working there for two months but some of my colleagues were being robbed for years. We’d all just assumed they’d been doing the right thing. Because we stood together and acted collectively, we ensured that we solved the problem. 

There are so many other examples of wage and super theft discovery like my experience across workplaces and industries – and in most cases, unions are behind the investigation and the recovery of stolen wages. 

The sad fact is that we just can’t make these assumptions. The most important thing you can do to ensure that you’re being paid what you’re owed, is to check your payslips with a fine-tooth comb! From the full pay period on or after 1 July 2022, it’s time to pull out a magnifying glass on your payslips. 

As mentioned, these sneaky tactics can fool us all because these little discrepancies can be hard to detect. If you need guidance on checking your payslips, you can check this Australian Unions Fact Sheet.  

If you’ve checked your payslip and something doesn’t quite add up, your union can assist.  

Unions are the most successful point of call for consulting, investigating and recovering instances of wage theft on both an individual and a collective basis.  

Your pay is yours and nobody else’s to hold hostage. Remember to check your payslips!