When you work for a business, you will usually get paid on the same day every week, fortnight or month.
When you get paid you will be given a payslip. This may be given to you as a printout, an email or via an app that your boss gives you access to.
Read more about working and getting paid
Details on a payslip
When you get your payslip, don’t just look at the amount you got paid! There are other details you need to make sure are correct. They are:
- Your full name.
- Your employer's name (this might be a person or a business name).
- Your employer's Australian Business Number (ABN).
- The date the payment was made.
- The pay period (for example, the last fortnight that you worked).
- The gross pay and net pay (the total amount you’re paid before tax is taken out, and the amount after).
- The hourly and ordinary hourly pay rate you get for working (for example $13.95 per hour).
- Any penalty rates (for example, work on Sundays or overtime is often paid at a higher rate).
- The number of hours worked at the rates that apply (for example, 25 hours at a normal rate and 5 on penalty rates).
- The amount your employer puts into your superannuation (super) account if you’re meant to get super (at least 10.5% of your gross earnings, paid on top of what you’ve earned). Some payslips may also include your superannuation account information, such as your member number.
Make sure it’s correct
If any of the details don’t look right, speak to your boss. If you don’t feel comfortable doing that, speak to an adult you trust.
Tax can be confusing and you may need to use a tax calculator to work out whether the right amount is being taken out.
Some bosses don’t do the right thing when it comes to superannuation and you may not realise until years down the track. Check whether you’re meant to be getting super and if you are, that it’s being paid into your account.
Read more about superannuation
The amount you get paid is based on things like the type of work, your age, and the days of the week you work. There are laws to make sure you get paid the right amount of money.
The Fair Work Ombudsman explains what your rights are, including the correct pay for your age and the job you’re doing: