Your payslip arrives by email, you check the net amount in your account, and move on. That is what most people do. The problem is that a payslip contains far more than the deposited amount — and the most common payment errors affecting immigrant workers appear precisely in the fields nobody usually reads.
What the law requires on a payslip
Under the Fair Work Act, every employer must issue a payslip within 1 business day after each payment. The payslip must contain specific fields — and missing fields are already a violation.
| Required field | What it must contain |
|---|---|
| Employer name | Full legal name and ABN |
| Employee name | Your full name |
| Payment date | The date the money was transferred |
| Pay period | Start and end dates of the period covered |
| Gross pay | Total before any deductions |
| Net pay | Total after all deductions — what lands in your account |
| Hours worked | Total hours by category (ordinary, overtime, etc.) |
| Hourly rate | Rate per hour for each type of hour |
| Deductions | Each deduction itemised with its reason |
| Superannuation | Amount contributed and name of the fund |
If any of these fields is missing from your payslip, your employer is in violation of the Fair Work Act — regardless of whether the amount paid is correct.
Reading each field in practice
Gross pay vs Net pay
Gross pay is your total earnings before any deductions. Net pay is what lands in your account. The difference between the two consists of deductions, all of which must be listed.
The most common deduction is PAYG withholding — income tax withheld at source. Other possible deductions include voluntary superannuation contributions, private health insurance through salary sacrifice, and other salary packaging arrangements.
If the difference between gross and net is much larger than expected and the deductions are not detailed, that is a warning sign.
Hours and hourly rate
Your payslip should list hours by type:
- Ordinary hours: regular hours within standard working time
- Overtime hours: extra hours worked beyond the ordinary (at a different rate)
- Penalty rates: hours worked on weekends, public holidays, or night shifts (at a different rate)
- Leave: annual leave, sick leave, etc.
If the payslip shows only a total number of hours without categorisation, you cannot verify whether penalty rates were applied correctly.
Superannuation
The super field must show the amount contributed during the period and the name of the fund. Since July 2025, the mandatory contribution rate is 12% of ordinary time earnings.
Important: some employers declare super on the payslip but do not actually make the deposit. Check regularly in myGov (ATO → Super) that your balance is growing in line with your payslips.
Weekends and public holidays — the most common source of errors
Many workers in hospitality and retail receive a "flat rate" — the same rate for every day of the week. This is generally illegal. The applicable award sets specific penalty rates for Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.
Example — Restaurant Industry Award: Monday to Friday = 100%; Saturday = 125%; Sunday = 175%; public holiday = 250%.
If you work weekends and your payslip always shows the same hourly rate, there is a strong likelihood of underpayment.
Comparing your payslip with the award
The most important check is to compare what appears on your payslip with what the award requires for your role and hours.
Go to calculate.fairwork.gov.au, select your industry and role. The system will identify the applicable award.
Every award has levels (Level 1, Level 2, etc.) with different rates. Confirm whether the level shown on your payslip matches your actual responsibilities.
List the days and times for each week of the pay period and calculate the correct amount accounting for each day's rate. Compare this with the gross pay on your payslip.
Calculate 12% of your ordinary time earnings (gross pay excluding overtime) and compare it with the super field on your payslip. Check myGov to confirm the deposit was made.
What to do if something is wrong
If the amount paid is incorrect:
Document the discrepancy with clear calculations. Contact your employer in writing (email or message) pointing out the specific error and requesting a correction. Keep all responses.
If mandatory fields are missing from the payslip:
Formally request a correction in writing. The absence of mandatory fields is a violation of the Fair Work Act regardless of whether the amount paid is correct.
If the employer does not fix it:
Contact the Fair Work Ombudsman. You can lodge a formal complaint online and the FWO can investigate and require retroactive payment. Keep all payslips you have, along with any independent evidence of hours worked.
Keep all your payslips
Payslips are tax and employment documents. Keep them all in a safe place (email, cloud storage, physical folder). Your employer must keep records for 7 years; you should keep yours too. If you will lose access to your work email when you leave a job, save your payslips before you go.
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