Are you being paid correctly? How can you check if your employer has passed on your latest pay increase or whether you are getting the right allowance?

The first thing you need to look out for is a correctly presented payslip.

Under the Fair Work laws, your employer is required to provide you with a payslip in either hard copy or electronic form that needs to include:

• Your name, your Employer and their ABN;
• The period to which the pay slip relates – for example the past week or fortnight – and the date you were paid;
• The gross amount you were paid (ie before tax) as well as the actual amount (ie after tax) that went into your bank account.

Allowances and penalty rates

Your payslip also needs to state what you were paid as a bonus, loading, allowance, penalty rate, incentive-based payment or other identified entitlement. If an amount was deducted from your pay, the name and number of the fund or account into which the deduction was paid should also be shown – for example if your Union fees are deducted from your salary, this must be specified on your payslip.

Part-time and casuals

For part-time and casual employees, your payslip should show your hourly rate of pay for ordinary hours, the number of hours worked and the total amount paid during that pay cycle (overtime payment requirements for part-time and casual employees are covered by the requirement to specify any penalty rates paid on your payslip).

Annual rate of pay

If you are paid an annual rate of pay then the rate of pay as at the latest date to which the payment relates needs to be shown. For example if the payslip relates to the fortnight of 20 November to 4 December, it must specify what your annual salary was on 4 December.

Superannuation

Your employer is also required to show the amount of superannuation they paid (or are required to pay when they next lodge their payments) and to which fund.

>> If your Employer is not providing you with a payslip or showing the required information, please contact the VHPA